Pakistani shot dead by mentally ill man in Kentucky

Police describes the incident as a ‘random act of road rage

A Pakistani in Kentucky, United States was shot dead on his way to work on Wednesday morning.

Mukhtar Ahmad, 41, a resident of Louisville was killed on the interstate, I-71, by a man with a history of mental illness and in the midst of a divorce, according to The Courier Journal.

Police identified the man as Christopher McCullum and have arrested him. An unlicensed electrician, McCullum was arrested five months ago with four loaded handguns and two rifles, according to court records.



PHOTO: WLKY.COM

It remains a mystery how he came into contact with Ahmad, a father of three, a daughter and two sons, aged 13, 11 and 6. However, police has described the incident as a ‘random act of road rage.’

A family friend and attorney said, "The routine was to leave for work and he would drop off his daughter, 13-year-old, daughter at school, and he would take 71 to his work."

But he never came back home.

As per reports, McCullum fired several shots at Ahmad’s car making it crash into a guardrail. With a single gunshot I his torso, Ahmad died at the driver’s seat.



PHOTO: WLKY.COM

"He was the kind of guy who carried his heart in his hands," said his wife, Shamy Nabil. "I am grateful for my faith. I know we are all going to die, one way or another. I just didn't expect it to be this soon, I didn't expect it to be like this."

The 41-year old immigrated to Louisville in 2000 with very little, but friends said he worked his way up to becoming the owner of many local grocery stores and food marts with his brother, Tariq.

"All he did was go to work, took care of his children and wife, supported his elderly parents in Pakistan," Kahloon said.

His death has jarred the small, tight-knit community in Louisville and his brother had to call home, in the middle of the night back in Pakistan, and break the news to his elderly mother, said attorney and family friend, Khalid Kahloon.

"The confusion, the fear, has traveled from here to their small village," Kahloon said. "The whole village, and probably all the neighboring villages, are grieving."

"Many in our community don't understand, they think there has to be something more to it. How can a traffic dispute lead someone to kill somebody?" Kahloon said. "But I believe it was a random road rage incident. We had a man who had access to guns, with a loose temper and a loose mind."