Niagara Falls man killed while fighting in Syria against ISIS

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A Niagara Falls family is calling on the Canadian government to bring the body of their brother home after he was killed while fighting for Kurdish forces in Syria. 24-year-old Nazzareno Tassone was among 4 people killed in the city of Raqqa on December 21st. His family learned about his death two weeks after the attack and had no idea he was fighting ISIS.

“We only probably wouldn’t have known that he was doing it because he wanted to protect us.” Francine Faulkner, Nazzareno’s sister.

Tassone grew up in Niagara Falls and graduated from Saint Paul high school. His sister, Francine Faulkner, says he moved to Edmonton for a few months before flying to Iraq. His family said he was taking classes to teach English before leaving Canada in June.

“He graduated and we were told his first job would be in Iraq and he would be there for three months followed by Turkey.”

Photos online however show a different picture. Tassone is seen dressed in military clothes and holding a gun. His family says their not surprised. He’s always had a passion for the army, but was denied entry into the Canadian Armed Forces because of a medical condition. He kept in touch with family periodically through Facebook.

He is the second Canadian fighter to die in Syria. Chatham native John Gallagher was killed in a suicide bomb attack more than a year ago.

Tassone’s family has been told that ISIS still his body. They were told Kurdish forces are working on a deal with the terrorist group but the family is asking the Canadian government to step in, so they can hold a funeral.