Fifteen lives were lost in what has been described as Australia’s second-deadliest mass shooting which, police allege, occurred on Sunday night when Naveed Akram and his father Sajid opened fire
Two victims of the Bondi Beach shooting were captured in heartbreaking images moments before their deaths as they attempted to stop one of the gunmen.
Fifteen innocent people were killed in what has become Australia ’s second-deadliest mass shooting.
Police allege that Naveed Akram, 24, and his father Sajid Akram, 50, stood on a footbridge at Sydney’s eastern-suburbs beach on Sunday night and opened fire on a crowd celebrating Hanukkah. A photograph circulating on social media shows a man collapsing onto the road beside Sajid while clutching a firearm he had just torn from the gunman. A woman is seen standing nearby.
“Many people may not realise that at the very start of the attack, two individuals identified the gunman and courageously tried to disarm him,” one social media user wrote. “Tragically, they were shot and killed during the attempt. They were heroes who stepped forward despite the danger.”
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A witness who watched the struggle unfold also described the man as a hero. “We saw him bravely try to disarm this evil terrorist. His family should know he was trying to save lives,” the witness said.
Another eyewitness, a local resident named Jenny, told the Xiaoxiang Morning Post that she initially thought the sounds were fireworks before seeing two men grappling as she parked her car. She said: “I was stunned. Everyone else was running away.”
Jenny said she saw Sajid exit a vehicle before being rushed and tackled by an older man — whom she believed to be in his 70s or 80s — who managed to grab the long firearm. She also noticed a thin, elderly woman standing behind him.
When Jenny later saw a gunman firing from the footbridge, she drove to the beach to collect her family before rushing home. She said: “I’ve lived in Australia for more than 20 years, and this is the most horrific attack I’ve ever witnessed.
A young Australian man who had been hiding during the shooting later found the couple lying amid what he described as a “trail of destruction.” Speaking to ABC’s 7.30 , he said he checked the man’s pulse and breathing and began CPR before being warned by another bystander that it was unsafe and that the man had already died. He then noticed the victim’s wife lying face-down across him.
Nine of the 15 victims have now been identified, including the youngest, 10-year-old Matilda. Others include British-born Chabad Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41; French national Dan Elkayam, 27; Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman; husband and father Tibor Weitzen; synagogue assistant Reuven Morrison; Slovak citizen Marika Pogany, 82; and retired NSW Police detective sergeant Peter Meagher. Twelve people remain in critical condition, with another 26 receiving treatment across seven Sydney hospitals.
Among the injured is Ahmed Al-Ahmed, who confronted and disarmed one of the attackers. Video footage shows the 43-year-old father of two grabbing Sajid Akram from behind and wrestling away his rifle. Akram fell backwards as Mr Al-Ahmed lifted the weapon, pointing it toward the gunman without firing, before placing it against a tree.
The confrontation unfolded in full view of the second alleged shooter, Naveed Akram, who remained on the footbridge armed. Naveed Akram was taken to hospital under police guard with critical injuries, while his father was shot dead at the scene by police.
Mr Al-Ahmed, a Syrian-born tobacconist, was shot in the shoulder and arm after seeking cover behind a tree and remains hospitalised at St George Hospital.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed he plans to meet Mr Al-Ahmed following a visit from NSW Premier Chris Minns. “He’s a hero,” Mr Albanese said, adding that his bravery “needs to be recognised.”
