LINDEN — The friends of slain DPS trooper James Scott burns are devastated and angry.

Texas Forest Service firefighter Ronnie Hamm considered himself Burns' good friend. Hamm learned of his friend's death late Tuesday night and helped spread the word.

The firefighter sat on a bench outside the Cass County courthouse Wednesday afternoon, staring at the sidewalk. He spoke with Burns' father for two hours on the phone Wednesday morning.

"We're sad — so sad — at this loss, but at the same time we're damn angry about what happened," Hamm said.

Burns joined the Department of Public Safety five years ago, after working as a state correctional officer. Hamm said Burns thought he could better serve his community as a state trooper.

Once Burns joined the force, Hamm occasionally rode with him. He called Burns a professional who had a low-key personality. He said Burns issued a lot of warnings.

"He hated to give out citations," he said.

Burns and his wife Michaela married a couple of years ago, and Hamm's wife sang at the wedding. The Burnses' daughter, Micah, was born about five months ago. Burns brought Micah to Hamm's office Monday. The last time Hamm saw Burns, the trooper was holding his daughter.

"I'd never seen a guy more content," Hamm said.

"There's a 5-month-old daughter that had the greatest dad in the world, and she'll never have the chance to know him," Hamm added.

Hamm said he believes everything happens for a reason, but he cannot see any reason in Burns' death.

"It's a struggle right now," Hamm said. "I don't understand how anyone can have that amount of evil in them."

Hamm said he and Burns attended Linden-Kildare High School, although several years apart.

C.J. Hagler, a retired agriculture teacher, said he taught Burns, Burns' twin brothers and Burns' father. Hagler said Burns came from a good family, and was a very active student who was good to have in class.

Retired guidance counselor Pat Keesee said Burns was liked by students and faculty.

"He was a fine young man and was well-thought of back then," Keesee said.

Burns' supervisor, Highway Patrol Sgt. Joshua Mason, went with the trooper's family to make funeral arrangements. He fought back tears outside the funeral home.

Mason said he trained Burns when he first joined the department. The two were great friends, and Mason said he recently had been promoted to a sergeant, making him Burns' supervisor.

"There's no better trooper out there I know of," Mason said.

Jefferson Police Chief Gary Ambern has known Burns and his family for 20 years. Ambern's office is across the street from where Burns was stationed in Jefferson. Ambern said Burns was a well-respected member of the community and was a great example of a law enforcement officer.

"I'm still numb over it," Ambern said. "I still don't want to believe."

"For someone to maliciously murder such a fine young man, it's a horrible, a terrible thing to take a father and a husband and a son and a friend," Ambern said.

The Linden feed store operated by Burns' parents, Triple "S" Feed, was closed Wednesday. A sign on the door read, "Closed Due to Death in Family." A large black ribbon was tied to the doorknob.

* * *

DPS Trooper James Scott Burns

Age: 39

Hometown: Linden

Family: Wife, Michaela, and 5-month-old daughter, Micah

Education: Linden-Kildare High School, Tyler Junior College, Texarkana College and Ouachita Baptist University

Career: Joined the Texas Department of Public Safety on March 1, 2003; stationed in Linden until that office closed; transferred to Atlanta Highway Patrol office; transferred to Jefferson office on Sept. 1, 2006; worked for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice before joining the Department of Public Safety.