A U.S. Marine, also a father of two, was tragically killed in North Carolina during a weekend road rage incident while enjoying a leisurely ride on his newly acquired motorcycle. His family shared that he had dreamed of one day sharing such rides with his sons as they grew older.

“Dylan was simply out for a Sunday afternoon ride,” remarked Ryne Snooks, who owns the Ready to Ride motorcycle shop. He spoke to NBC affiliate WITN about 31-year-old Dylan Rasmussen, who had recently visited the shop to buy new tires. “I heard he’d just gotten a haircut and was on his way home,” Snooks added.

Authorities and court records allege that 43-year-old James Wells fatally shot Rasmussen, described as a “dedicated husband” and “loving father,” around 1:30 p.m. on Sunday near the junction of Burgaw Highway and Holly Shelter Road in Onslow County.

An arrest warrant indicates that during a ride on the highway, Wells stopped and entered into a verbal dispute with another motorcyclist. The confrontation escalated when Wells allegedly drew a firearm and shot Rasmussen once in the chest.

Responding deputies from the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the scene to find Rasmussen, an active duty Marine, suffering from the gunshot wound. He was quickly transported to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

It’s unclear what the two men were arguing about, but the sheriff’s office has confirmed in a Facebook post that the fatal shooting “stemmed from a road rage incident” that occurred between them.

“This was an isolated event,” the office said. “The victim and suspect did not know each other.”

Wells fled the scene but was later arrested and charged with second-degree murder. He was being held this week on a $500,000 bond.

“Life is way too short to engage in this type of behavior,” District Attorney Ernie Lee told reporters in a statement this week, per WITN.

“We now have two individuals, one deceased and one sitting in jail,” Lee said. “We have two families, I’m sure, who are just devastated by all this. Life is just way too short to engage in this type of behavior. I mean, just don’t pull a weapon out on someone, it’s just not worth it.”

Onslow County Sheriff Chris Thomas urged the public on Facebook to stay safe and not “engage or escalate” confrontations with “aggressive or enraged” drivers.

“You never know what a stranger is capable of,” Thomas said.

A GoFundMe created for Rasmussen’s family describes how he “often spoke of how he looked forward to riding motorcycles with his sons as they grew older.” He was an active duty Marine who “dedicated his life not only to serving his country but, above all, to caring for and protecting his family,” according to the description.

“His love, strength, and unwavering commitment to those he loved were evident in everything he did,” the GoFundMe says.