HAMMOND, LA — June 4, 2026 — Fifty-year-old Patricia Shepard was tragically killed in what investigators believe was a case of mistaken identity after gunmen opened fire on a vehicle parked at a Chevron gas station in Hammond during the early morning hours of Thursday, June 4. Authorities say Shepard, an innocent bystander who was receiving a ride home from work, was struck multiple times when suspects unleashed a barrage of gunfire at the vehicle she occupied.
According to the Hammond Police Department, officers responded to the Chevron station on Highway 190 near Westin Oak Drive at approximately 1:15 a.m. Upon arrival, they found Shepard inside a gray sedan suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators reviewing surveillance footage determined that a white sedan pulled alongside the gray vehicle before two suspects exited and began firing. Police estimate that between 70 and 80 rounds were fired into the sedan. The suspects then re-entered their vehicle and fled westbound toward Interstate 55.
Hammond Police Chief Edwin Bergeron Jr. said detectives believe the attackers were targeting someone else and mistakenly thought that person was still inside the vehicle. Investigators determined that the intended target had already exited the car before the shooting occurred.
Bergeron described Shepard as a completely innocent victim caught in a senseless act of violence. Authorities also revealed that the suspects’ vehicle had been stolen during a carjacking in McComb, Mississippi, earlier in the week.
The investigation remains ongoing, and anyone with information is encouraged to contact Hammond Police Detective Dustin Williams or Crime Stoppers of Tangipahoa.
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