Chilling CCTV shows moment gangland figure is gunned down at suburban cafe
Terrified cafe patrons can be seen scrambling under their tables as a gunman clad in black runs kills notorious Melbourne crime figure Gavin ‘Capable’ Preston.| WATCH
A notorious crime figure sprayed with bullets while eating breakfast at a cafe on Saturday has left Melburnians with a sense of deadly deja vu, as residents wonder if Gavin “Capable” Preston’s public killing puts them at the centre of a new underworld war.
Police were searching for a gunman and his accomplice on Sunday after Preston was shot at close range at 10.20am the day before as he sat outside with his associate, reported to be Abbas Jnr Maghnie, at “Sweet Lulus” cafe in Keilor, a suburb in Melbourne’s north west.
Preston’s death — himself a feared killer and enemy of some of the city’s most infamous gangsters — comes 20 years after Melbourne crime boss Jason Moran was executed outside a suburban oval mid-morning in front of his children and their Auskick mates.
The killings are eerily similar. The assailants in balaclavas, a decision to murder in the morning — around 10.30am in both cases — and an apparent disregard for innocent people in their way.
For Moran, his twins and other children witnessed his death. They were in a van about to leave a junior Auskick football clinic when Moran and his minder Pasquale Barbaro were shot through the windows.
Other children were nearby when the ambush took place.
When Preston was shot, terrified patrons at the cafe scrambled under their tables immediately after a hooded man fired at least six bullets towards the underworld figure, before fleeing.
Maghnie was shot in the stomach but survived, after he appeared to spot a hooded figure barrelling towards his table and attempted to run.
Preston can be seen falling to the ground among scattered chairs after he is shot in CCTV footage.
Preston was released from prison in April, serving an 11-year sentence for shooting two drug dealers.
In 2011, he was suspected of shooting former Bandidos enforcer Toby Mitchell outside a gym in Brunswick. Mitchell survived, and one of his associate’s — Christopher “Badness” Binse — planted explosives under Preston’s car in retaliation. Preston was never charged.
Preston was also accused of plotting to kill Mick Gatto, but was thwarted by police according to reports.
On Sunday, a local business owner who declined to be named said she felt “unsafe” after she heard the shots ring out while at work on Saturday.
“They are gone but still it’s scary because nobody has caught them yet,” she said.
“These people (the shooters) put innocent people in danger.”
Charlie Scott said he did not witness the attack, but came in ten minutes later to assist his colleague who heard the gunshots during his shift at the Thirsty Camel, a bottle shop located about 200m opposite the cafe.
“I just think if you're going to do that stuff don’t bring innocent people into it ... anyone could have been shot,” the Thirsty Camel manager said.
Brian, a Keilor resident of 20 years, said the Keilor Village — with a number of cafes and shops in close proximity — was quieter than usual on a Sunday.
“It’s concerning it happened in the middle of the morning, while people were having breakfast. There could have been kids. That’s wrong,” he said.
Another local of ten years Helen, who declined to give her last name, said the shooting was “shocking”.
Premier Daniel Andrews said he “had no advice” from police gangland wars could be escalating again.
Sweet Lulus was closed on Sunday, but investigators visited businesses and police cars circled the area.
On Sunday, a Victoria Police spokesman said homicide detectives will continue to investigate the targeted, daylight murder. No arrests have been made over the ambush.
On Saturday, Crime Command Acting Superintendent Mark Hatt said police believed the attack was “linked to organised crime”.
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