Men charged in fatal Chicago shooting near United Center were arrested within 8 seconds, prosecutors say

Two Chicago men accused of murdering a 67-year-old contractor and developer near the United Center earlier this week were ordered held in custody Friday after prosecutors detailed how six Chicago police officers witnessed the shooting and arrested both men within seconds.

Nassie Mason, 28, and Erving Harris, 31, both of Chicago, are charged with first-degree murder and possessing a weapon as a felon in the shooting at Madison and Leavitt that killed 67-year-old Jerry Lewis Tuesday.

Lewis was walking just a few blocks from the United Center around 12:45 when Mason and Harris allegedly approached him, pulled out guns and opened fire. Lewis was struck in the head and taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Prosecutors said Mason and Harris were captured on surveillance video waiting in a stolen gray Honda with stolen plates outside Lewis' business for 90 minutes before the shooting.

The two men were wearing latex gloves and ski masks, prosecutors said.

Six Chicago police officers patrolling in an unmarked car witnessed the shooting, prosecutors said. One of the men shot Lewis in the head, the other shot him multiple times after he was on the ground, prosecutors said.

The officers had both men in handcuffs within seconds and recovered two semi-automatic guns along with four shell casings, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors referred to the suspects as "assassins" in court, saying the entire attack took just eight seconds from the time the men got out of their car to the time they were in handcuffs.

Prosecutors did not offer a motive for the shooting.

Lewis was a successful contractor and developer who mentored others in the construction industry. He had recently been working on the 1901 project to redevelop the United Center, according to the source material.

His wife Zandra described him as a "loving husband, father and grandfather; hardworking man, not selfish."

"He wanted everybody to succeed — he helped others all the time and that's just who he was," she said.

Mason has served time behind bars and recently faced a gun conviction, prosecutors said. Harris is currently on parole for an aggravated carjacking, a charge he picked up while on parole for a previous narcotics conviction, prosecutors said.

Both men were ordered detained.