Sister pays emotional tribute to little brother gunned down on his parents' doorstep in case of mistaken identity

Daily Mail​

10-06-2025

The sister of a man who was gunned down outside his house in a case of mistaken identity has shared a touching tribute to her 'beautiful baby brother'.
John Versace, 23, was ambushed as he got out of his ute at his family's home in Dalton Avenue in Condell Park, in Sydney 's south-west, about 10.30pm on May 19.
The shooter unloaded about 10 rounds of bullets, with the young plumber suffering four gunshot wounds to his chest and stomach.
Paramedics found Mr Versace slumped on the front driveway and despite their best efforts, they were unable to revive him.
Sister Deanna Versace shared a touching tribute to TikTok on Friday with the caption: 'Until we meet again, my beautiful baby brother'.
The video featured a carousel of clips of Mr Versace singing, dancing and celebrating various birthdays and life events with loved ones.
Deanne wrote a touching tribute to her brother the day after he was killed.
'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.
'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.'
John's other adult sister, Bianca, described Mr Versace as 'our baby, our pride and joy, the most innocent boy in the world'.
'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.
Police told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday the investigation was ongoing but no other details could be provided at this time.
The young plumber, who worked for his dad's company, had no known criminal history and did not have any known links to organised crime.
The intended target is reported to be an organised crime figure who lives nearby in Dalton Avenue.
It's understood members of Sydney's gangland underworld raced to the scene amid fears one of their own was dead.
Harrowing footage from a neighbour's CCTV camera captured Mr Versace's final moments on his parents' doorstep where he lived with his sisters.
Security footage showed Mr Versace reversing his ute up the driveway and parking it very close to the garage door.
As he exited the ute, a small silver hatchback, which police believe was a Toyota Corolla, arrived outside the home and parked across the driveway.
The male gunman, dressed in black and wearing a hood with his face covered, exited from the backseat of the car and approached the front of the house.
'Hey, hey, hey, hey, stop, stop,' a man is heard yelling before the gunman raised his right hand and opened fire with a Glock-style weapon.
Aerial footage showed Mr Versace surrounded by paramedics trying to revive him metres from the front door as his distraught family watched on helplessly.
Following the shooting, the gunman returned to the hatchback, which was last seen travelling eastbound on Dalton Street.
Emergency services later received reports of a car, which police believe was stolen in December, about 12km away in Fairfield Heights.
Police said a handgun similar to a Glock-style pistol was found inside the vehicle after firefighters extinguished the flames.
'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,' Superintendent Rodney Hart told reporters.
'We believe that this has the hallmarks of a targeted execution.
'(It is) very brutal, very distressing.'