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September 12
Police are examining links to organised crime as they investigate a fatal shooting in Keilor on Saturday.
Gangland identity Gavin “Capable” Preston, 50, was killed and another man he was dining with was critically injured after shots were fired outside Sweet Lulus cafe in Keilor Village on Saturday morning.
The village was packed being a Saturday morning and football finals being held just down the road from the cafe.
Security camera footage shows the moment Preston and the other man, aged in his 20s, were peppered with bullets.
A hooded gunman dressed in black runs from the passenger side door of a black SUV and fires several shots from a handgun at Preston, who falls to the ground as smoke lingers in the air.
The other victim appears to see the gunman just before he fires his first shot and begins to run away as other diners also flee and hit the deck.
The shooter then runs back to the getaway car before it speeds away, with the attack over in less than 20 seconds.
While Preston died at the scene, another man in his 20s was transported to hospital in a critical condition.
Acting Superintendent Mark Hatt told reporters on Saturday, the younger man was undergoing emergency surgery for gunshot wounds to his stomach.
He said the two offenders then fled in a black SUV, which was found dumped in nearby Blair Court.
“Given the circumstances, we believe it is linked to organised crime,” he said.
We’re in the early stages of the investigation. A number of searches are underway, including at the scene.”
He said multiple shots were fired into the upper bodies of both men in front of shocked diners.
“The incident took place outside the cafe, there were a number of other people dining at the time. It’s unfortunate it has taken place in such a public manner,” he said.
Premier Daniel Andrews attempted to quell fears of an escalating Melbourne gang war following the shooting, saying he had no advice that there should be concerns about a possible gang war escalation.
