NEW DETAILS — Police Release Updated Timeline in 80-Round Hammond Gas Station Shooting That Killed 50-Year-Old Patricia Shepard

Authorities have released new details in the fatal Hammond gas station shooting that claimed the life of 50-year-old Patricia Shepard, confirming the attack was both targeted and the result of mistaken identity.

The incident occurred shortly after 1:15 a.m. at a Chevron gas station in Hammond, where Shepard had just finished her shift and was sitting in the back seat of a colleague’s vehicle. According to investigators, the vehicle had briefly stopped at the gas station during what was intended to be a routine stop before heading home.

Deadly ambush at the gas station

Police say the situation escalated within moments when two masked men exited a white vehicle and approached the parked car where Shepard was seated.

The white vehicle has since been identified by investigators as a car that was reported stolen in McComb, Mississippi.

Without warning, the suspects opened fire on the vehicle, unleashing an estimated 70 to 80 rounds in a rapid and sustained attack. Patricia Shepard was struck and killed at the scene.

Despite emergency response efforts, she was pronounced dead at the gas station. Her colleague, who was also in the vehicle or nearby at the time, was not reported as injured.

Police confirm mistaken identity

Hammond Police Chief Edwin Bergeron later confirmed that the shooting was not a random act of violence, but a targeted attack that tragically went wrong.

According to Bergeron, the suspects had been tracking the vehicle for some time, believing that their intended target was inside. However, investigators believe that the actual target had already exited the car before the shooting took place, leaving Shepard in the vehicle when the ambush occurred.

“This was a case of mistaken identity during a planned attack,” the chief confirmed, stressing that the victim was not the intended target.

The revelation has added a further layer of tragedy to the case, as investigators continue to piece together the suspects’ movements leading up to the shooting.

Ongoing investigation and manhunt

The case remains under active investigation, with no arrests made at this stage. Law enforcement agencies are continuing to follow multiple leads in an effort to identify and locate the two masked suspects responsible for the deadly ambush.

Authorities have not yet released further identifying information but confirmed that the stolen white vehicle plays a key role in the ongoing investigation.

Police are urging members of the public to come forward with any information that could assist in tracking down those responsible.

Public urged to provide information

Officials have issued a public appeal for assistance, encouraging anyone with knowledge of the suspects or the stolen vehicle to contact investigators immediately.

Tips can be submitted to Detective Dustin Williams of the Hammond Police Department at 985-277-5755. Anonymous information can also be provided through Crimestoppers at 1-800-554-5245.

As the investigation continues, authorities have reiterated their commitment to bringing those responsible to justice, while the community grapples with the shock of a violent attack that ended in the death of an innocent woman caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.