Doonside stabbing victim’s mum in brave plea over postcode wars

The mother of a teen killed in a postcode war stabbing has bravely spoken about the dangers of Sydney’s knife crime epidemic, warning: “try to change the way your kids think”.

Rissa Taoho thought she might get a hug from son Iyzaa-Jay Naden during these school holidays – instead he died in her arms on the steps of Blacktown police station.

Now the heartbroken mother is bravely speaking out to warn parents about the deadly gang culture tearing apart western Sydney.

The last day of term was meant to be the start of family time during these two weeks.

Instead they are preparing to bury Iyzaa and have been left questioning the senseless violence that took his life.

It was not the first death linked to Sydney’s street gang violence and Ms Taoho fears it will not be the last if parents and community leaders do not step up.

Iyzaa-Jay Naden, his mum Rissa Taoho and brother Jaryea-Sean Naden.

As her other son Jaryea-Sean Naden recovers from injuries he sustained in the attack, she issued a message to mums and dads parenting in the middle of a postcode war.

“Parents (need) to tell their kids that being in a gang isn’t the way of life,” she told The Sunday Telegraph.

Iyzaa’s family believe the 18-year-old was never part of a gang.

“My son wasn’t even in a gang and was killed … life’s too short to make trouble and put stress on your family.

“These kids these days have no respect. Try to change the way your kids think because I believe that children are sponges and how a child turns out is due to their upbringing.”

Ms Taoho is a rare voice speaking out about the wave of knife crime infecting western Sydney’s youth.

She was with Iyzaa, Jaryea and their younger sister when they were attacked by a group of teens on the last day of term claiming to be from street gang “RFA” or “Ready For Anything”.

Teens gathering at the scene hours after the stabbing. Picture: Richard Dobson

Bravely, she spoke directly to the parents of her son’s alleged killers, who themselves are aged between 15 and 17.

“What are those kids’ parents teaching them? To go out with knives and stab other people’s children (like) that it’s OK, because it’s not,” Ms Taoho said.

“Well I wanna say I’m sorry that their kids are now in jail but at least they can still see them, cuddle them, I can’t do that, they took my son’s life because of what reason … only they know.”

Ms Taoho believes her son was targeted because he had “67” in his Snapchat handle, the name of a street gang based out of Doonside.

Talking in between the tears, Ms Taoho wanted to give the full story in graphic detail.

Iyzaa (left) with Uati Faletolu, who was stabbed to death at the 2022 Easter Show.

“He didn’t rep no suburb, he wasn’t in a gang, he just did his own thing. I believe he was a target … because he had 67 at the end of his Snapchat name,” Ms Taoho said.

“How ridiculous, it’s a joke.

Police bagging a glove as evidence near the scene. Picture: Tim Hunter.

“His last words were: ‘I’m sorry Jaryea, I love you brah’ and then he looked up at me and said: ‘I love you mum’.”

When the memories of holding Iyzaa as he passed away last week grow too much, she reminisces about his childhood.

He had spent the majority of his early years in Doonside, growing up with several siblings, never far from his mother Ms Taoho’s side.

Ms Taoho wants the public to know what happened to her son that day after his horrific death has been overshadowed by Bondi Junction tragedy and then the Wakeley church attack on a bishop.

The scene is now a shrine to Iyzaa. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Children were getting on to the bus at the same time Iyzaa’s attackers allegedly approached him. Picture: Tim Hunter.

“This is (the) kind of person my son was, he was protecting the ones closest to him,” she said.

“He was a loving quiet person who loved his family and would do anything for them.

“On that afternoon him, myself and his dad left our home to go to Doonside to pick his little sister up from school.

“We waited for the 756 bus, a bus we have caught so many other times in the past.”

What happened next will be ultimately determined by the courts but Ms Taoho said Iyzaa “was protecting his sisters”.

Riot Squad Police searching the scene the day after the stabbing. Picture: Tim Hunter.

After both her sons were stabbed, a family friend started to drive them to hospital. But while Ms Taoho was on the phone to triple-0, the operator told her to stop and an ambulance would meet them.

She worked tirelessly in the back seat of the car to save Iyzaa, using his father’s shirt to slow the bleeding.

“By the time they ran out (of the police station) he was already gone,” she said.

The scene of the stabbing this week has been adorned with flowers, messages from loved ones and “18” balloons.

Doonsiders are all too familiar with the postcode wars, with last week’s tragedy taking place just minutes from where 15-year-old Jason Galleghan died in 2020.

Jason was bashed on camera, taunted about several local street gangs by a group of minors and the footage uploaded to social media.

He died of horrific injuries that sparked outrage in the community.

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