The family of a young tradie with no known links to organised crime is ‘absolutely heartbroken’ after he was killed in an ‘execution-style’ shooting at his family home in Sydney’s south-west.
Plumber John Versace, 23, was ambushed by a barrage of 10 gunshots as he got out his ute at his family’s home in Dalton Avenue, Condell Park, at 10.30pm on Monday.
Emergency services found him dying on the home’s front doorstep with at least four bullet wounds as paramedics desperately tried to save him.
Police are now investigating if the deadly shooting was a case of mistaken identity.
Mr Versace is understood to have been working for his father’s business, who lived with his parents and adult sisters.
Mr Versace’s sister, Deanna Versace, issued an emotional tribute to her brother on Tuesday.
‘John, no words can describe the pain we are all feeling and will continue to feel for the rest of our lives,’ she wrote.
‘You were the world’s greatest brother, son, grandson, cousin and friend. We are so lucky and blessed to have had the time we had with you but your life was cut too short.
John Versace, 23, was found at the scene with a gunshot wound and died despite paramedics’ desperate efforts to revive him
John Versace’s family paid tribute to him on social media after the brutal killing
Emergency services were called Dalton Street in Condell Park at about 10.30pm on Monday night following reports a man had been shot (pictured)
‘You did not deserve this. You’re at peace and with Jesus now. We love you so much John. Our angel forever. This world wasn’t good enough for you. Life will never be the same.’
Police said on Tuesday that Mr Versace was not known to police and did not have a criminal record.
‘I want to assure the community that at this stage we believe that this is, although an extremely brutal and violent execution style murder, is a targeted attack,’ Superintendent Rodney Hart told reporters.
‘Now, although this victim at this stage, we believe, may not have links to organised crime or something in the way of drugs, we believe that this has the hallmarks of a targeted execution. (It is) very brutal, very distressing.
‘So I want to reassure the community that we are treating this not as a random attack. His family members do not have criminal records, and he at this stage, I believe, has one traffic offence.
‘We need to look at who he is involved with, who he knows, what he did leading up to this brutal attack on him – to get an idea of exactly what has happened and resulted in this brutal murder.’
Police said they had viewed ‘good quality CCTV’ from cameras attached to the house, which showed Mr Versace returning home shortly before the shooting.
He had reversed his ute up the driveway and parked it very close to the garage door, Superintendent Hart told reporters.
Police are investigating whether the deadly shooting of Mr Versace (pictured) was a case of mistaken identity
Mr Versace lived with his parents and adult sisters and the shooting happened on his ‘front doorstep,’ with police investigating the possibility the killers had ‘laid in wait’ for him
As he was exiting the ute, a small silver hatchback, which police believe was a Toyota Corolla, arrived at the address and parked across the driveway.
‘A male exited the rear driver’s side of that car and made his way up the driveway towards the victim,’ Mr Hart said.
Mr Versace saw the man approaching him, dressed in black, wearing a hood and with his face covered.
The young tradesman backed towards the home and found himself pressed against the garage door and an existing wall.
The gunman raised his right hand and opened fire with a Glock-style weapon – shooting up to 10 bullets at the victim.
Police believe Mr Versace suffered at least four gunshot wounds. H
e slumped to the ground out the front of his home and the offender returned to the hatchback, which was last seen travelling eastbound on Dalton Street.
Emergency services later received reports of a car on fire at nearby Fairfield Heights.
‘Upon that vehicle being extinguished of the flames and a cursory search, a handgun similar to that of a Glock-style pistol was located in that vehicle,’ Mr Hart said.
Specialist forensic investigators spent the night examining the scene as part of a probe into the circumstances of the shooting
Mr Hart said police believe the car was stolen in December.
‘We believe it was driven there, it was torched, and those offenders were there, then got into another car and left the scene. But at this stage, I don’t have the details of that second car.’
The superintendent added that Mr Versace’s family were ‘extremely distraught’.
Police urge anyone with any information, dashcam or CCTV footage from the surrounding areas to contact Crime Stoppers.
