US woman, 50, killed after gunmen fire 70 to 80 shots into car at gas station thinking she was someone else

A 50-year-old woman was killed after gunmen opened fire on a car at a petrol station in Hammond, Louisiana, U.S., apparently believing their alleged target was inside the vehicle.

According to ABC News, Patricia Shepard was sitting in the car when the suspects pulled up and fired between 70 and 80 rounds into it at a Chevron station early Thursday.

Stalked the wrong car

Hammond Police Chief Edwin Bergeron Jr. said at a news conference that the suspects had been trailing the car from a farm before the shooting, believing their target was inside, per ABC News.

He said:

"At some point [the alleged target] was in the vehicle, and then exited the vehicle to ride with someone else."

The car then left the farm and headed to the petrol station, with the suspects following close behind. When the driver got out and went inside the station, the suspects moved in.

Bergeron said their car "pulled up next to it... and began shooting."

"Absolute innocent victim"

Bergeron was unequivocal about Shepard's role in the incident.

He said:

"She was not involved."

He described her as an "absolute innocent victim" and addressed the suspects directly at the press conference:

"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."