A couple in their 60s were killed desperately trying to stop one of the gunmen during the Bondi Beach terror attack.
They were among 15 people killed by two gunmen – a father and son – who targeted a Hanukkah celebration at Archer Park next to the beach on the first day of the Jewish festival of lights on Sunday evening.
One of the men, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, was killed by police at the scene, having been part of the attack that killed victims aged between 10 and 87 years old.
The other gunman, 24-year-old Naveed Akram, has woken up in hospital having briefly fallen into a coma after being shot.
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This is what we know about the victims who have been named so far.
Boris and Sofia Gurman
Russian-Jewish couple Boris and Sofia, aged 69 and 61 respectively, have been identified as the first two victims of the attack after their family gave a statement to the Sydney Morning Herald.
They tried to confront one of the gunmen before they were both shot dead.
Dashcam footage shows an attacker wrestling for a long-barrelled weapon with an older man in a lavender shirt and shorts, before they both fall to the ground behind a silver car.
“An elderly man by the roadside did not run away – instead, he charged straight toward the danger, using all his strength trying to wrestle away the gun and fighting to the death,” dashcam owner Jenny said.
“I can see from my camera that the elderly man was ultimately shot and collapsed. That moment broke my heart,” she added.
A separate drone video, taken afterwards, shows the man and woman lying motionless next to the vehicles beside the bridge where the gunmen were later stopped by police.
The couple’s family identified them after the footage emerged.
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A fundraising page has been set up for the couple by their close friends.
Boris and Sofia, who lived in Bondi together, had been married 34 years and were approaching their 35th wedding anniversary next month.
The fundraising page goes on to say: “They were people of deep kindness, quiet strength, and unwavering care for others. Devoted to their family and to each other, their absence has left a void that cannot be filled. 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. While nothing can lessen the pain of this loss, we feel immense pride in their courage and humanity.”
Rabbi Eli Schlanger
The 41-year-old British-born rabbi, was assistant rabbi at Chabad Bondi, which organised the Hanukkah event.
Mr Schlanger had lived in Sydney for the past 18 years. He was a father of five who, along with his wife Chayala, celebrated the birth of their youngest child, a boy, two months ago, and grew up in Temple Fortune, north London, according to Jewish News.
His cousin, Rabbi Dovid Lewis, of the South Manchester Synagogue, told Sky News their great-uncle, the late Reverend Leslie Olsberg, served as a rabbi at the Heaton Park Synagogue in the city, where two people were killed in a terror attack on 2 October.
Rabbi’s tribute to Bondi victim and cousin
He said his cousin had “dedicated his life to adding light and to spreading Torah and Judaism” and in the wake of the Manchester attack sent a post on social media saying: “We will respond with light.”
“There’s a feeling of numbness, but there’s also a feeling he lived,” he said.
“I’m not going to wallow in pity, I’m going to do something in his memory.”
He said his cousin “lit a light”, adding: “I’m now obliged to pick up that light and become a torchbearer.”
He added: “We have got to say darkness can only be combatted with light. It’s what he did, it’s what I will do, it’s what we ask everyone else to do as well.”
Another one of his cousins, Brighton-based Rabbi Zalman Lewis, described Mr Schlanger to Sky News as an “incredibly vivacious, energetic, positive guy” who had “dedicated his life to helping people”.
Eyewitness remembers friend killed at Bondi Beach
He said his initial reaction was one of “deep pain and confusion” but he quickly knew he had to respond with a “positive message of hope and light and positivity”.
“The world is a good place,” he said.
“There is some evil. There is some darkness. But, overwhelmingly, there is goodness in the world. And, overwhelmingly, there are good people in the world. And I came home, and I said to myself, I need to create a positive energy for myself, for my family, for my community.”
Reuven Morrison
Businessman Reuven Morrison, 62, was another member of the public shot dead while trying to stop one of the attackers.
His daughter Sheina Gutnick told American broadcaster CBS News: “He had jumped the second the shooting started. He managed to throw bricks. He was screaming at the terrorist and protecting his community.”
“If there is one way for him to go on this Earth it would be fighting a terrorist.”
She said footage from the scene showed that her father was chasing the terrorist and throwing objects towards him after 43-year-old “hero” Ahmed al Ahmed charged one of the gunmen from behind and disarmed him.
Ms Gutnick said her father, a Soviet-born member of the ultra-orthodox Jewish community in Australia, was “shot dead for being Jewish… while protecting lives, while jumping up, putting his own life at risk to save his fellow Jewish community members”.
Matilda
The 10-year-old girl who died in hospital following the attack has been named as Matilda by her aunt, who requested that her niece’s last name not be disclosed.
She was a former student at Harmony Russian School of Sydney.
In a post on GoFundMe to raise money to support her family, she was described as a “bright, joyful, and spirited child who brought light to those around her”.
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Dan Elkayam
French President Emmanuel Macron announced French citizen Dan Elkayam was among those killed.
Local media reported that he was in his late 20s and had gone to celebrate at the festival.
He was reportedly employed at NBC Universal in Sydney.
Alexander Kleytman
Larisa Kleytman told reporters outside St Vincent’s Hospital that her husband, 87-year-old Alexander Kleytman, was among the dead, according to The Australian newspaper.
The couple were both Holocaust survivors and had moved to Australia from Ukraine.
Peter Meagher
Peter Meagher was working as a freelance photographer at the Hanukkah event, according to his rugby team, Randwick Rugby Club.
He was a retired policeman, having served almost four decades in the New South Wales police force, the rugby club’s statement said.
“The tragic irony is that he spent so long in the dangerous front line as a police officer and was struck down in retirement while taking photos in his passion role is really hard to comprehend,” the club said.
Rabbi Yaakov Levitan
Chabad identified Mr Levitan as secretary of the Sydney Jewish religious organisation, Beth Din.
Tibor Weitzen
The 78-year-old was identified as one of the victims by Chabad.
He was described as a husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather who “brought joy and smiles to everyone”.
Mr Weitzen was fatally wounded while shielding his wife from the gunfire, who survived, according to the Daily Mail.
Marika Pogany
The president of Slovakia, Peter Pellegrini, confirmed the death of a Slovak woman, who was identified by Australian media as 82-year-old Marika Pogany.
