Widow recounts husband's final act shielding her before fatal Sydney pub shooting

A heartbroken widow says her husband ended their last phone call with a warning that saved her from hearing the gunfire that killed him outside a Sydney pub. Gilbert Shino, 39, was fatally shot on August 17 as he and a friend left The Harold hotel in Forest Lodge, in Sydney's inner west. His friend, Maradona Yalda, 31, was wounded but survived. Pictures shared by Shino's wife, Natasha Avakian, show what authorities described as bullet holes in a fence near the pub. On Sunday, NSW Police said there was no update on the case and that investigations remain under Strike Force Westmoore, an operation targeting gang-related violence in Western Sydney. Yalda had returned to Australia four days before the murder and was believed to be aware there was a contract on his head. While Yalda has links cited by police sources to an Assyrian street gang called DLASTHR, along with former Comanchero bikie Andre Kallita (who has since left the club), friends of Shino have insisted he had no gang involvement and there is no suggestion of wrongdoing by Yalda.

Police say the men were ambushed as they walked to their car, which was parked about 100 metres away. The operation involved a volley of gunfire, with authorities stating that as many as 15 shots rang out and that patrons and a female staff member were at risk when the bullets flew toward the pub. Shino died at the scene, and Yalda was chased by the gunman before the assailant fled. Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of more than one shooter and are asking for dashcam footage to help piece together the sequence of events.

Avakian has described the moment in powerful terms on social media, recounting that she was on the phone with her husband in the seconds before he died. “I can’t believe I’m standing at the last place where you took your last breath,” she wrote. “I can’t take it Gib, it kills me that this is how you left me. 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, you made sure I wouldn’t hear anything.” Police have not publicly identified a motive, though the attack is being treated as targeted. Avakian also shared that she and Shino had been planning to watch a UFC match on the night of the shooting and had previously attended the Australian Open together.

In a separate post, Avakian revealed she had been re-watching 2000s television series The O.C. with her husband and that they were nearing a pivotal moment when the character Trey Atwood is shot, a note she said was “ironic.” The couple’s two young daughters, Montana and Isla, have paid tribute at their father’s grave, visiting in Father’s Day T-shirts that read, “Dad I used to be your angel, now you are mine.” Avakian has been openly grieving, saying grief never heals and that it only grows heavier with time. A GoFundMe page set up in Shino’s memory has raised about $113,000 to date.

Shino was a devoted father and a skilled tradesman who had become a fixture in his Middleton Grange community. He and Avakian had two daughters together and had suffered the miscarriage of a son. They were described by friends as a hard‑working family who valued sports—Shino was an avid tennis and UFC fan—and who enjoyed time together as a family. Avakian’s posts and public tributes highlighted the impact of the loss on their young family and the broader community.

Meanwhile, police said the shooting sample raises questions about broader gang‑related violence in Western Sydney. Leichhardt Superintendent Alf Sergi described the incident as a “targeted attack” and said officers believed there could be more than one gunman. “We believe it’s a targeted attack, yes, based on one of the victim’s backgrounds with possible links to organised criminal networks,” Sergi told radio listeners. He said investigators were seeking a dark‑coloured vehicle and urged the public to provide any dashcam or other information that could illuminate the case.

The Forest Lodge incident is the 13th public shooting and the fourth fatal attack across Sydney in the last nine months. Not all victims have had underworld links; the case follows a string of deadly violence that has unsettled Sydney’s western suburbs and prompted calls for greater police resources. One high‑profile case involved plumber John Versace, who was killed in Condell Park in what authorities described as a mistaken identity murder.

Police have requested the public’s help in solving the case and asked anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000. Investigators continue to review CCTV, interview witnesses, and assess whether additional gunmen or vehicles were involved in the ambush outside The Harold. The case remains open as Strike Force Westmoore continues its work to deter and disrupt gang‑related violence in Western Sydney.