Texas Prosecutor Gunned Down Outside Courthouse

Jan. 31, 2013 — -- A Texas prosecutor who handled drug and homicide cases was shot dead outside of the Kaufman County courthouse by a pair of gunmen, including one who was wearing a bullet proof vest, according to ABC News' Dallas/Fort Worth affiliate WFAA.

The shooting has spurred a complete lockdown of the area and there is a manhunt for two shooters.

Kaufman County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Pat Laney told WFAA that the suspects assaulted the prosecutor on his way in to court at around 8:50 a.m., shooting him multiple times.

The attackers then fled and the courthouse was locked down and closed.

The victim has been identified as Mark Hasse, a longtime prosecutor for the Dallas County District Attorney's Office and current assistant DA for Kaufman County, according to WFAA. He was a felony prosecutor who handled drug and murder cases.

Kaufman County Judge Bruce Wood told WFAA that Hasse was not working on any high-profile cases that would have required extra security. Investigators are looking into his caseload.

The Texas Department of Public Safety sent out an alert for troopers to be on the lookout for a silver "older model" Ford Taurus, according to WFAA. The alert said the suspects are wearing all black and at least one is wearing a tactical vest.

"When you get up into [this] level, you are really attacking society as a whole because our whole society is based on our criminal justice system and getting our day in court," Sheriff David Burn said at a news conference. "This is not how to handle our business."

Helicopters are also involved in the search.

All of the schools in the district are locked down during the manhunt.