A late-night stop for gas on U.S. 190 in Hammond turned deadly early Thursday when 50-year-old Patricia Shepard was gunned down at a Chevron station in what police say appears to be a brutal case of mistaken identity.
Officers were called to the station around 1:15 a.m. and found Shepard inside a gray sedan parked at the pump. She had been shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
According to WVUE, security camera footage shows a white sedan pulling up alongside the parked vehicle before two armed suspects step out and open fire. Investigators say the pair unleashed between 70 and 80 rounds into the gray car, then sped away westbound toward I-55.
Hammond Police Chief Edwin Bergeron Jr. told WVUE that detectives believe the shooters were targeting someone else. “The lady in the car, Ms. Patricia, who has lost her life, was an absolutely innocent victim in this,” he said.
Investigators Follow Trail Across State Line
Hammond police say the white sedan used in the attack had been stolen in a carjacking in McComb, Mississippi, earlier this week, and detectives have traveled there while following leads, according to KPTV.
Chief Bergeron told KPTV that detectives are actively pursuing two to three suspects. He said investigators believe they have identified some potential motives but are not yet releasing those details.
Neighborhood On Edge After Gas Station Ambush
Workers and regulars around the station say the shooting has rattled a community that once thought of late-night fill-ups as routine, not risky.
“This is a nice store, but it just makes it difficult that you just don't want to come out, especially at night,” Terrence Selders told WVUE, adding that the gunfire has left neighbors nervous about late shifts or quick runs to the store.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Hammond Police Detective Dustin Williams at 985-277-5755 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-554-5245, according to KPTV. Detectives are also urging anyone who may have dash-cam or surveillance footage from the U.S. 190 corridor in the early-morning hours to come forward.
