Arrested: Christopher L. McCullum, 43, of Louisville, Kentucky shot Mukhtar Ahmed on a highway

A man has been charged with killing a Muslim father-of-three after he shot him while driving down a highway in Kentucky.

Christopher L. McCullum, 43, of Louisville, Kentucky was driving on Interstate 71 on Wednesday, when he spotted Mukhtar Ahmed, 41, in a separate lane and opened fire.

Ahmed was shot multiple times through the passenger door of his black SUV and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said the shooting was a 'completely random act of road rage,' as there was no connection between McCullum and his victim.

Ahmed leaves behind a wife and three young children including a 13-year-old girl and two boys, aged eight and five.

However the local Pakistani-American community fear that it was a faith-based hate crime as Ahmed was a Muslim.

Khalid Kahloon, Ahmed's family attorney, told NBC News: 'As an Asian-American Muslim community living in America at this time, the community is very sensitive and apprehensive.'

'This is a source of great discomfort to the community as to why a member would be murdered in this way.

'We cannot say it is for certain about race, but deep down in our hearts we cannot say that it was just another senseless murder on the American highway.'

Ahmed, an immigrant from Pakistan, had just dropped off his daughter at school and was driving on Interstate 71 in Louisville at 9 am, when the incident unfolded.

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Victim: Mukhtar Ahmed was driving on Interstate 71 in Louisville, when he was shot multiple times

Hard working: Ahmed had been living in the United States for many years and worked with his brother in a grocery retail business

SUV: Ahmed was shot multiple times through the passenger door of his black SUV, pictured here, and died

He was near the Gene Snyder Freeway when he was shot, according to Ahmed's family attorney.

Early reports from Lex18.com said police were looking for the suspect who fled in a white Ford van.

He was found three hours later, at noon, when police located a van which matched the description.

Eyewitnesses said the driver was dressed in overalls and was calmly chatting with officers after they got him out of the van.

His vehicle sat on the ramp for close to 90 minutes allowing a police technician to check it for evidence.

The suspect was then taken away in the back of a cruiser.

He was arrested and charged with murder. But there is still no indication of what sparked the dispute.

Police Chief Steve Conrad told local media: 'I don't exactly know the motive. It appears, based on what I know, to be some sort of road rage incident, but I don't know that for a fact.'

Kahloon said Ahmed had been living in the United States for many years and worked with his brother in a grocery retail business..

The local Louisville Pakistani-American community is small and made up of 100-150 families.

Kahloon added: '[Ahmed] had great ambition. He was hard working, a strong family man, with a good sense of his role in the community.

'He never had any issue with any customer, and always preferred a peaceful resolution.'

Police: Eyewitnesses said McCullum was dressed in overalls and was calmly chatting with officers after they got him out of the van, he was then taken away in the back of a cruiser

Scene: Early reports said police were looking for the suspect who fled the scene in a white Ford van

Meanwhile, the suspect, McCullum described himself as 'self employed and the owner of A&J's Electric' on his Facebook page. He also stated he was in the U.S. Navy.

He was expected to be arraigned on Thursday.

However, it has also emerged that he has a history of mental illness and substance abuse and is currently involved in a series of legal run-ins.

According to records obtained by WDRB.com the 43-year-old was going through a divorce.

He had been married since 1997 and had two teen boys but had moved out of his family home and listed his address as 'a white Ford van.'

In a July 2014 order by Family Court Judge Stephen George he stated that McCullum had a 'history of mental illness and substance abuse that affected his work.'

The judge wrote: 'He is unable to sufficiently supervise his employees and often walks off of jobs.'

Despite owning his own business A & J Electric, McCullum was not working. His electrical licence had been suspended after he failed to pay fees records from his divorce case showed.

He had not filed his taxes in several years, according to the records.

Additionally, he was supposed to be paying child support.

Divorce: According to records 43-year-old McCullum was going through a divorce and had moved out of his family home. He listed his address as 'a white Ford van,' pictured here, being inspected by police officers

Lawyer: The suspect was taken into custody by an officer after the shooting, but his former lawyer described him as a 'good guy, generally mild mannered,' and said he would be 'surprised' if he was involved

Legal troubles: McCullum, pictured with two officers, was also scheduled to be in Jefferson District Court on March 26 to deal with an additional trespassing conviction

In October 2014, McCullum was arrested by Louisville Metro Police while carrying four loaded handguns, two rifles and a crossbow police said.

An officer who pulled him over for driving with a shattered windshield and expired tags noticed a loose 9mm bullet rolling on the driver side floorboard.

They also found marijuana, drug paraphernalia and several weapons inside the van. The two rifles and two of the handguns were wrapped in a pair of overalls on the floorboard of the white van.

One of the guns was described as being a German Luger pistol.

Two other handguns were found behind the passenger seat.

McCullum, however, did not have a concealed weapon license. But his lawyer successfully argued that the guns were 'older, family guns' he'd inherited and he was taking them out to a farm to shoot.'

He got a plea deal and was sentenced to 90 days in jail which was conditionally discharged for two years, as long as he stayed out of trouble.

In a separate case, McCullum was scheduled to be in Jefferson District Court on March 26 to deal with a recent trespassing conviction.

He had gone into a person's yard and tapped into their breaker box to use their power without permission.