An elderly couple caught on camera during the Bondi beach shooting in Sydney have been hailed heroes, after sacrificing their lives in an attempt to stop one of the gunmen in Sunday’s (Dec 14) massacre.
In dashcam footage captured by a passing car, an elderly man dressed in a pink shirt can be seen tussling with an armed man, believed to be one of the shooters, before they both fall to the ground next to a stationary vehicle.
The elderly man appears to have wrestled the gun from the gunman, identified as 50-year-old Sajid Akram.
A woman, believed to be the elderly man’s wife, is also seen running towards them, as other passers-by take shelter behind a bus stop close by.
The video, uploaded to Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, also shows for the first time the parked car, believed to belong to the shooters, draped with an Islamic State flag.
A Reuters report on Tuesday quoted the owner of the dashcam footage, Jenny, who described the courageous act of the elderly man.
“An elderly man by the roadside did not run away — instead, he charged straight towards the danger, using all his strength trying to wrestle away the gun and fighting to the death,” said Jenny, who shared the footage with Reuters.
“I can see from my camera that the elderly man was ultimately shot and collapsed. That moment broke my heart,” she added.
According to a report by the Sydney Morning Herald, Sajid had charged at the man before picking up another rifle, killing the couple.
Drone footage later showed two bodies on the road where the scene unfolded, with News.com.au reporting that the husband and wife were found in each other’s arms.
Couple identified as Boris and Sofia Gurman
The pair have since been identified as Boris and Sofia Gurman, a Russian-Jewish couple who were residents of Bondi, reported News.com.au.
According to the report, a friend confirmed that they were involved in the attack. The couple are survived by a son who is in his 30s.
Netizens have hailed the couple’s act of heroism, and a GoFundMe page appears to have been set up to raise funds for the family.
According to the organiser of the page, Boris, 69, and Sofia, 61, were due to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary in January, with Sofia’s 62nd birthday falling on Dec 17.
“In the moments before their passing, Boris — with Sofia courageously beside him — attempted to intervene to protect others. This act of bravery and selflessness reflects exactly who they were: people who instinctively chose to help, even at great personal risk,” the organiser wrote, describing the couple as “people of deep kindness, quiet strength, and unwavering care for others”.
At least 15 people have been killed in Sunday’s shooting, which occurred during a Jewish Hannukah event.
It is Australia’s worst mass shooting event in 30 years, reported Reuters.
The gunmen in the shooting are alleged to be father and son, with Sajid shot dead by police and his son in critical condition in hospital after being shot.
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Elderly couple killed in Bondi Beach shooting hailed heroes after video shows husband tackling gunman
