A routine ride home turned into a nightmare for 50-year-old Patricia Shepherd in Hammond, Louisiana, when heavily armed gunmen unleashed a barrage of bullets at a vehicle they believed was carrying someone else.
The shooting happened around 1:15 a.m. Thursday at a Chevron gas station on Highway 190 West. When officers arrived, they found Shepherd inside a gray sedan parked at a fuel pump. She had been struck multiple times by gunfire and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators say the attack was not meant for Shepherd. According to Hammond Police Chief Edwin Bergeron Jr., the suspects had been tracking the vehicle for hours and believed a different person was inside. That individual had reportedly left the vehicle earlier without the gunmen realizing it.
Surveillance footage showed a white sedan pull into the gas station and stop near the gray car. Two suspects wearing dark clothing got out armed with what police described as AR-style pistols. Moments later, they opened fire.
Authorities say between 70 and 80 rounds were fired into the vehicle. Even as the suspects returned to their car, they continued shooting before speeding away westbound on Highway 190 toward Interstate 55.
Police believe Shepherd was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. She had no connection to the dispute investigators believe sparked the violence. Chief Bergeron described her as a completely innocent victim caught in a deadly act of retaliation.
As detectives worked the case, they identified the suspect vehicle as a white 2008 four-door Honda Civic bearing Mississippi license plate PJY050. Investigators say the car had been stolen during a carjacking in Pike County, Mississippi, two days before the shooting.
The vehicle is believed to have been damaged during the attack. Police say the front passenger window is missing after one of the suspects fired through it while shooting at the gray sedan.
Detectives are actively pursuing multiple suspects and say they are following several leads. Authorities have warned that anyone connected to the vehicle should be considered armed and dangerous.
The killing has shaken the Hammond community, leaving family members and residents searching for answers while investigators continue their hunt for those responsible for taking the life of a woman who was never supposed to be a target.
