Widow recounts final moments before Sydney pub shooting that killed husband

A 39-year-old man, Gilbert Shino, was killed and his friend Maradona Yalda wounded when gunmen opened fire outside The Harold hotel in Forest Lodge, in Sydney's inner west, on August 17, police said. The attack appeared targeted and is being investigated under Strike Force Westmoore, a Western Sydney operation that targets gang-connected violence. Police said up to 15 gunshots were fired on a narrow street near the pub, and a bullet narrowly missed a female staff member. Shino died at the scene, and Yalda survived his injuries.

On the night of the shooting, investigators say Shino and Yalda had been leaving the venue when they were ambushed as they walked toward a car parked several metres away. Authorities described the incident as a high‑risk, fast‑moving event that blocked a busy stretch of Forest Lodge. Local residents were told to stay inside as police canvassed the area for evidence and potential witnesses. Investigators have not ruled out the possibility that more than one gunman was involved, and they are seeking dashcam footage from nearby homes and businesses to piece together the sequence of events.

Shino’s wife, Natasha Avakian, has shared a personal account of the moments leading up to the shooting. Avakian wrote that she and Shino were on the phone in the seconds before he died, and that he hung up just before the gunfire began. Avakian posted: 'I can't believe I'm standing at the last place where you took your last breath,' and 'You were on the phone to me when it happened, you hung up on me the second before. Even in your last moment, you saved me, you protected me.' She later described Shino as a devoted father of two daughters and a hard-working tradesman who loved sports, including tennis and UFC.

Avakian and Shino had attended the Australian Open together in January, and the couple spoke publicly about their family life, including the loss of a son to miscarriage. In the days after the shooting, Avakian posted photos of Shino’s grave with their daughters, Montana and Isla, wearing shirts that read, 'Dad I used to be your angel, now you are mine.' She also expressed that time does not heal grief. In a separate post, she reflected on a shared love of 2000s TV drama The O.C., noting that she and Shino had been nearing a dramatic scene where a character is shot, a moment she said would now carry painful irony for her.

GoFundMe pages established in Shino’s memory have raised more than $113,000 to support his family, underscoring the community’s response to what authorities have described as a brazen, targeted attack. Avakian and others have described Shino as a family man and a proud father who was deeply involved in their two daughters’ lives, and the couple had endured prior personal hardship, including a miscarriage.

Police say Yalda, who survived the attack, had only returned to Australia four days before the murder and was aware there was a contract on his head, according to police sources. Yalda is understood to have ties with an Assyrian street gang known as DLASTHR, and with former Comanchero bikie Andre Kallita, who has since left the club. However, friends of Shino have insisted he did not have gang involvement, and there is no suggestion of wrongdoing by Yalda.

Authorities have said the investigation remains fluid as detectives review footage and interview witnesses. Leichhardt Superintendent Alf Sergi described the scene as a narrow street where bullets struck a window and narrowly missed a staff member and a nearby pub patron. He told radio listeners that investigators believe it was a targeted attack based on one victim’s alleged criminal associations, but investigators have not ruled out other angles. Police are asking for anyone with information, including dashcam footage, to come forward.

The incident marks the 13th public shooting and the fourth fatal attack in Sydney over the past nine months, according to police. Not all victims have had underworld links, underscoring the broader challenge of street violence in the region. In one other case cited by police, plumber John Versace was killed in Condell Park in what investigators described as a case of mistaken identity.

As the investigation continues, Avakian and Shino’s family members have sought to honor his memory and secure support for their two surviving children. Police have urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.