Sask. family pleads for info after son fatally beaten on B.C. reserve

VICTORIA – A Saskatchewan family is pleading for information about the death of their son, who died following an attack on a reserve in Victoria. Kyle Syrenne, 26, was walking to his girlfriend’s house on the Songhees First Nation reserve early Saturday, when two men and two women apparently got out of a taxi and assaulted him.

Syrenne died of his injuries on Tuesday. His parents, Roland and Tracy, and his brother Riel, flew to Victoria after receiving news that Syrenne was fighting for his life in hospital.

“I believe in my heart that there’s someone who knows something, so please come forward with that information,” Roland Syrenne said.

Four people flagged down a cab to go to the reserve on the day of the assault, said Michael Westeroth, Bluebird taxi’s operations manager. When they were dropped off, they asked the driver to come back in 10 or 15 minutes, but did not say why, he said.

“The driver went back, they came running out and jumped in his cab and said, `Take us to Topaz Park,”‘ Westeroth said. “He figures they might have been fighting, but he didn’t question it. He just took them there.”

That was the driver’s last fare before he went home.

Westeroth said every taxi is equipped with video cameras and the surveillance footage has been provided to West Shore RCMP, who have interviewed the driver.

Police do not believe the assailants knew Syrenne and are trying to determine a motive for the assault. RCMP spokesman Const. Alex Berube said police are encouraging the occupants of the taxi to contact police.

READ MORE: Victoria man dies after altercation with passengers in taxi

Songhees chief Ron Sam, an uncle of Syrenne’s girlfriend, Tasha Jayy, said the community is shaken by the fatal beating, at about 4:30 a.m. Saturday.

“As far as we’re concerned, he was a part of our community so for somebody to come onto our reserve and do something so damaging to a person and for a family to have to go through this, we’re very upset as a nation and as a people,” Sam said.

“These individuals had no connection to the reserve. We don’t know what brought them in a taxi to our reserve and that’s what I’m waiting to find out.”

Syrenne grew up in Martensville, a suburb of Saskatoon. He moved to Victoria in November 2013 and worked as a tile setter.

Riel Syrenne said his younger brother was selfless and would do anything to make others happy.

Tracy Syrenne said her son’s organs were donated.

“Through this tragedy, seven lives are going to be strengthened because of what he’s offering,” she said.

Syrenne’s roommate and friend, MacKenzie Byrnes, said he was a talented skateboarder, loved music and had the biggest CD collection she had ever seen.