HAMMOND — Hammond Police investigators have identified two suspects from the fatal shooting on June 4th at the Chevron gas station. The persons of interest, Jarvis Steptoe, 26, and Reginald Steptoe, 21, both from Hammond, are now wanted by police. Officials have also identified the vehicle the duo was seen in. It had a Mississippi license plate and officers say it was stolen in Pike County just two days before the shooting.
A 50-year-old woman catching a ride home with a friend after getting off of work died when two gunmen assumed she was someone else and fired upwards of 70-80 shots into the car where she was sitting, Hammond Police said in a news conference. The entire incident was caught on a surveillance camera at a gas station in Hammond.
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It was around 1 a.m. on June 4 when Hammond officers responded to a homicide in the parking lot of the Chevron at 3123 Highway 190 West. The woman killed in the shooting has now been identified as 50-year-old Patricia Sheppard.
“We know that the suspects stalked out a certain vehicle. This was not a random event,” Hammond Police Chief Edwin Bergeron Jr. said. “This was not just a random person that they drove upon and shot. We know that the suspects sat at Sanderson Farms. They watched the vehicle. They believed that there was another individual that we believe to be the actual target in the car. At some point, that person was in the vehicle and then exited the vehicle to ride with someone else.”
Patricia Sheppard’s family speaks out
The family of Patricia Sheppard released a statement following the fatal shooting at the gas station:
A life was taken. A family was shattered. A community is grieving.
The tragic and senseless death of Patricia Sheppard has touched the hearts of people not only across Louisiana, but throughout the nation and around the world. What began as a heartbreaking local tragedy has sparked outrage, compassion, prayers, and an overwhelming outpouring of support from people who never had the opportunity to meet Patricia but were moved by her story.
Patricia Sheppard was more than a headline. She was a mother. A daughter. A sister. A friend. A woman who was loved by many and whose life mattered. Her family now faces the unimaginable task of laying their loved one to rest while navigating the pain and trauma left behind by this devastating act of violence.
Today, we are asking the public to stand with the Sheppard family as they prepare to honor Patricia’s life with dignity, love, and respect.
To assist with funeral expenses, memorial services, family support, and related arrangements, an official fundraising campaign has been established and is being supported by Legacy Transformation Health Network and Soaring Angels, Inc.
The Sheppard family wishes to sincerely thank every person who has shared Patricia’s story, offered prayers, sent messages of encouragement, made donations, and stood in solidarity during this difficult time. Your kindness has provided comfort in moments when words often fail.
In addition, Sheppard’s family shared that there is only one official fundraiser at this time and that those who want to help the family by donating should only use the methods below.
“We respectfully ask the public to verify donation information through the official fundraiser and designated contact listed on the official flyer before contributing,” the family shared.
The Hammond shooting investigation
From Sanderson Farms, the suspects are believed to have followed the car on Hwy. 190 going west until they pulled into the gas station.
Security camera footage shows two cars parked at two different gas pumps, a gray vehicle and a white car. When the driver of the gray vehicle went inside, the white car pulled up to a closer pump, at which time two people exited the white car (the front and back passengers) and opened fire into the backseat of the gray vehicle, officers said.
“Between 70 to 80 shots were shot into this car. The lady in the car, Ms. Patricia, who has lost her life, was an absolute innocent victim in this. She was not involved in it,” said Bergeron. He added the victim and the driver had just gotten off work from a local business and officer believe they were followed to the gas station.
The two suspects were seen wearing dark clothing and were shooting with “AR-style pistols,” and continued shooting even as the car drove off.
Bergeron said the car the suspects used was stolen, involved in a carjacking in McComb, Mississippi on June 2. On Friday, officials released more information about the vehicle.
The suspect vehicle is a white 2008 4-door Honda Civic with Mississippi License Plate PJY050. During the fatal shooting event, one of the suspects shot through the front passenger window of the vehicle and, as a result, the vehicle no longer has a front passenger window, according to Hammond Police.
“We will not rest until the scumbags like this go to jail. For them to roll up and kill an innocent woman in a car because they thought it was somebody else, we do believe there’s some motives behind it, but we’re not going to discuss that at this time. I can call them dirt bags, scumbags, and all kind of other different things and names, but let’s be honest, these are the people that are affecting our community. These are the trash bags that are destroying communities across our country every single day,” the chief said.
Hammond officers are requesting anyone with any information on the shooting or who sees the suspect vehicle to contact Detective Dustin Williams with the Hammond Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at 985-277-5755 or williams_dj@hammond.org. You can also immediately call 911, but do not approach the vehicle.
The shooting suspects are considered armed and dangerous, officials say.
Those with information can also message Hammond Police Department’s Facebook page, or call Crime Stoppers of Tangipahoa’s anonymous tip line at 1-800-554-5245.
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