By Riley Walter, Perry Duffin and Sally Rawsthorne
John Versace was not known to police, had never fallen foul of the law, and according to one of his heartbroken sisters, was the “innocent” baby of his family.
He worked for his father’s plumbing business, lived at home with his parents and sisters, and had only a traffic offence attached to his name.
John Versace was ambushed and gunned down in the driveway of his family’s Condell Park home.
So his killing, an “extremely brutal and violent execution-style murder” bearing all the hallmarks of a gangland assassination, in the driveway of his family’s south-west Sydney home on Monday night, has left both his loved ones and authorities without answers.
“We have a 23-year-old male who was brutally murdered on his front doorstep, and we have an extremely grieving family,” Superintendent Rodney Hart told reporters on Tuesday morning.
Versace had just reversed his ute into the driveway of the Dalton Avenue property in Condell Park around 10.30pm when he was ambushed by a masked and hooded gunman dressed entirely in black. He backed away from his killer, but was trapped against the garage door and shot at least four times with a “Glock-style pistol”, Hart said.
As many as 10 shots were fired before Versace’s body slumped to the ground and his killer made off in a Toyota Corolla that had been parked across the driveway.
NSW Police forensics officers at the Condell Park crime scene.Credit: Kate Geraghty
Versace was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics, but could not be revived and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Around 20 minutes after Versace was killed, the Corolla believed to be the killer’s getaway car was found engulfed in flames on Blackford Street in Fairfield East. Inside, police found what they believe was the weapon used in Versace’s murder.
The shooting and torching of the getaway car, believed to be stolen in December, closely resemble the underworld hits that have plagued Sydney for several years. But, given Versace’s lack of criminal history and known ties to organised crime, police are investigating whether he was killed in a case of mistaken identity.
“Although this victim, at this stage we believe, may not have links to organised crime or something in the way of drugs … this has the hallmarks of a targeted execution. Very brutal, very distressing,” Hart said.
Strike Force Harkstede, being led by NSW Police’s homicide squad, will look at who Versace was involved with, who he knew, “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”, Hart said. Like the 23-year-old, Versace’s family are not known to police.
“This has all the hallmarks of a targeted, brutal hit, so that is what we are treating it as at the moment,” Hart said.
In a tribute posted to social media on Tuesday morning, Versace’s sister, Bianca, said her brother was the “most innocent boy in the world”, the family’s “baby”, and its “pride and joy”.
A burnt out car was found at Fairfield East, near the site of the Condell Park shooting.Credit: Nine
“I have no words. This world did not deserve you. We’re going to miss that smile that lit up every room, I love you so much, my angel,” she wrote.
In a separate tribute, another of Versace’s sisters, Deanna, said he was the “world’s greatest brother, son, grandson, cousin, and friend”.
NSW police conducting a line search in Fairfield East, where the burnt car was located. Credit: Kate Geraghty
“John, no words can describe the pain we are all feeling and will continue to feel for the rest of our lives,” she wrote.
“We are so lucky and blessed to have had the time we had with you but your life was cut too short. You did not deserve this.”
Police spent Tuesday canvassing the area around Versace’s home for CCTV footage to identify his killer and the route the Corolla may have taken after the shooting.
A man carrying flowers approaches the home where family and friends of John Versace have gathered.Credit: Kate Geraghty
Hart said at least two people were believed to have been involved in Versace’s murder – the shooter and the driver of the getaway car – but it was not yet known if other offenders were also in the car and on the run. No arrests have been made.
“If that is the car that was used, we believe it was driven there, it was torched, and those offenders then got into another car and left the scene,” Hart said.
Anyone with dashcam or CCTV footage or information about the shooting is urged to contact Bankstown police station Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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