Anthony Johnson

Anthony Johnson was shot in the car park of the Penny Black Pub in Cheetham Hill on the night of Friday 22 February 1991.

He was killed by a bullet through his mouth.

Five were tried for his murder, including a man in a wheelchair, but acquitted.

Anthony Johnson was with a friend when they were cornered in a car park by several other men and then shot at.

His friend was shot in the chest but survived, However, Anthony Johnson was shot in the back, neck and through the mouth as he tried to escape by vaulting over a wall and killed.

They had driven in the car park of the Penny Black Pub, but their exit had been blocked by a taxi and when they got out to talk to the people in the taxi, a person in the taxi asked them if they were carrying guns and then started shooting at them.

Anthony Johnson was also known as White Tony and Tony Johnson and had been a member of the Cheetham Hill gang which was a predominantly black gang. He was known to have often worn body armour. It was said that he had stepped in as leader of the Cheetham Hill gang during a power vacuum and that two other men, also regarded as the gangs main leaders had left Manchester, with one of them being believed to have gone to London.

Anthony Johnson was described as being unemployed but was known to drive a Cosworth Sierra car worth £25,000.

It was reported that Anthony Johnson was a suspect in the murder of Anthony Gardner who was shot in 1988 and whose murder is still unsolved. It was also reported that he had been involved in a gun killing at the Caribbean carnival in Leeds 1990 but when questioned by the police he denied all involvement.