CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. - A Good Samaritan and young North Carolina dad paid the ultimate price for trying to be a helpful citizen during the first big blizzard to hit the East Coast of 2016.

Police say Jefferson Heavner, 26, was driving along when he saw a car had spun off the road just after 5 p.m. on Friday, reports CBS affiliate WBTV of Charlotte.

Marvin Jacob Lee WBTV

Heavner joined a group of neighbors who heard the wreck and they attempted to help the driver, later identified as 27-year-old Marvin Jacob Lee, of Claremont.

Get Breaking News Delivered to Your Inbox

Witnesses later said Lee was acting odd and belligerent. When the group who stopped to help said they were calling police to let them deal with it, Lee got a gun and opened fire on them.

After Heavner fell to the ground, Lee kept shooting before retreating to his car, police said.

Deputies arrived, and Lee refused to exit his car. An armored car and several officers behind shields eventually convinced Lee to give up.

He has been arrested and charged with murder.

Kristie Ward, a friend of the victim, told WBTV she learned of Heavner's death Friday night. She said Heavner had a child and will be missed greatly.

"He was just at my house not even a month ago. He told me 'I love you sis, bye.'"

Ward didn't realize she would be saying goodbye to Heavner, a father, forever.

"All he loved to do was go mudding, hunting, fishing, he was just all-around great person," Ward explained.

Several people said they heard the shots Friday night.

Ward said she hopes the suspect is punished for the alleged incident, "I hope that he gets what he deserves. I hope he does go to prison for this."