Innocent Woman Killed By Gunmen Who Fired 70 To 80 Shots At Wrong Target

Police in Hammond, Louisiana, are searching for suspects after a 50-year-old woman was killed when gunmen fired up to 80 bullets into a car at a Chevron gas station early Thursday (June 4). According to ABC News, the shooters apparently believed their intended target was inside the vehicle, but police say that person had already left before the attack.

The incident took place around 1:15 a.m. at a gas station on U.S. Highway 190. Hammond Police Chief Edwin Bergeron Jr. said that the suspects' car—a white sedan, stolen earlier in the week from McComb, Mississippi—pulled up next to a gray sedan and began firing between 70 and 80 rounds. The victim, Patricia Shepard, was sitting in the parked car after getting a ride home from work. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Surveillance footage showed two suspects, dressed in dark clothing and armed with what appeared to be AR-style pistols, getting out of the white sedan and shooting at the gray sedan before fleeing westbound toward Interstate 55.

Police believe the suspects had been following the car for hours, thinking their target was inside. Chief Bergeron explained, "At some point, the alleged target exited the vehicle to ride with someone else." He called Patricia Shepard an "absolutely innocent victim" who was "at the wrong place, unfortunately, at the wrong time." Bergeron added, "We will not rest until the scumbags like this go to jail."

Authorities say there are at least two or three suspects involved and that they have "promising" leads. Police have asked anyone with information to contact the Hammond Police Department at 985-277-5755 or the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 1-800-554-5245.