Trackdown: Help find Gavin Preston's killer

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Dallas police need help to track down a man who was part of a wild shootout in Oak Cliff that left a 21- year-old man dead.

Police say Gavin Preston, the man who was killed, was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Video from the scene shows tens of people standing around a crunch of slow moving cars before a shootout begins. Three people in different vehicles where shot. One was killed. The shooting is caught on tape but still at large.

It all began on June 30 around 1:30 a.m. A group of guys on the sidewalk were shooting dice outside a strip center at 4515 Village Fair Drive in front of Big T Bazaar.

Police say about 50 people or so were congregating and conversing as cars were cruising. Then, the shooting began. As the crowd broke, some people can be seen pulling out what looks like guns as they run for cover.

Police are looking for a slender guy caught on video. He was dressed in black and wearing flip flops as he shot back across the parking lot. He ran up to the building, and fired several rounds as he moved south down to the sidewalk.

When the shooting stopped and police arrived, three people in different vehicles had been shot. Police found Preston dying behind the steering wheel in his car.

“From intelligence I’m getting, I’m hearing that he was not the intended target,” said Dallas Police Detective Eddie Parker.

Investigating officers recovered at least 30 shell casings.

Preston was two weeks shy of his birthday. He was with four friends who had done nothing that night to provoke any one. They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“From interviewing them, they didn’t even go inside the party,” Parker said. “They were just kind of here just hanging out.”

These are still pictures of the shooter taken from the surveillance system video. The detective feels like the man in the flip flops firing the weapon is about 6’ 2”, slender and has a medium-like afro.

“Personally, I think the video is very clear. And when seen on tv, somebody’s gonna know him by name, nickname. Somebody’s gonna know this kid,” Parker said. “I need the community to step up. If you know this person, give me a call so we can get this person off of the streets.”

Dallas Crime Stoppers is offering a reward in the case. Anyone with information is urged to call (214) 374-8377.