Jason Paoletti had just finished lunch with his fiancée and was riding his motorcycle back to the repair shop when the shooting unfolded.
His mother and sister spoke exclusively with Action News on Wednesday.
"He loved his family. He didn't deserve this. He didn't," said his mother, Christine Tate.
Paoletti, 46, of Bear, is remembered by his family as a devoted mechanic, motorcycle enthusiast and loyal brother.
"He loved his motorcycle. He loved racing," said his sister, Dawn Paoletti. "He was rock solid. He was loyal. He was respectful."
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Delaware State Police said the shooting happened around 1:30 p.m. at the intersection of Salem Church Road and Old Baltimore Pike.
Investigators said Paoletti was riding behind a Hyundai Elantra when both vehicles stopped at a red light.
Paoletti pulled his motorcycle in front of the Hyundai, and the driver moved alongside him in the left lane, where police said a verbal altercation began.
According to investigators, Paoletti got off his motorcycle and reached into a saddlebag.
Police allege the front-seat passenger, identified as 28-year-old William Simpler Jr. of Saint Georges, shot him before the Hyundai fled the scene.
Troopers found Paoletti suffering from a gunshot wound in the roadway. He was taken to a local hospital, where he later died.
At first, witnesses didn't realize he had been shot.
"We just thought he was having a medical emergency," one witness, who requested anonymity, said. "We tried calling 911, but the line was busy."
The witness said Paoletti then told bystanders, "I've been shot in the back."
As several people rushed to help, they discovered he had multiple gunshot wounds before first responders arrived.
Among those who rushed to help was the daughter of Paoletti's fiancée.
"His girlfriend's daughter is a paramedic," Dawn Paoletti said. "She ran across the road and said, 'That's my stepdad.'"
Detectives later identified Simpler as the suspect and arrested him at his home without incident.
He was charged with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He was committed to the Delaware Department of Correction on a $1.5 million cash bond.
Dawn Paoletti said the allegation that her brother was involved in road rage is inconsistent with the man she knew.
"My brother didn't have road rage. My brother is not violent. My brother is a lover," she said.
She said her brother had always been someone she admired.
"He was my best friend. He was my role model. I looked up to him growing up," Dawn Paoletti said.
"My brother is never coming back. I'll never be able to hear my brother's voice again, and I'll never be able to see my brother again."
The Delaware State Police Homicide Unit continues to investigate the shooting.