A married couple in their 60s has been identified as two heroes of the Bondi massacre, who were killed after wrestling one of the shooters away from his gun on the side of the road.
Boris, 69, and Sofia Gurman, 61, were killed during the Bondi shooting after they gave their lives in an attempt to stop 50-year-old shooter Sajid Akram in his tracks.
Dashcam footage of their heroic act was widely shared on social media on Tuesday morning, with a friend of the couple confirming to news.com.au they were killed in the shooting, adding she had been “crying for two days”.
The pair were reported missing shortly after the shocking event on Sunday, with police requesting information about their last known whereabouts.
The Russian-Jewish couple live in Bondi and have a son in his 30s.
Their son made a simple tribute via his Instagram bio to his parents, writing: “14/12” with a dove emoji.
A GoFundMe has since been set up, with the funds going to the couple’s son.
In a statement, the Gurman family said the pair were approaching their 35th wedding anniversary in January.
“Boris and Sofia were longtime Bondi locals who loved their community and the life they had built there,” the statement said.
“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.”
The family said their selfless act reflected “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,” the statement said.
Footage goes viral
The couple’s heroic act, which was captured on a dashcam, was uploaded to Chinese social media before being shared widely on Tuesday.
In the footage, Mr Gurman can be seen wearing a purple shirt and tackling Akram into the street to disarm him next to the bridge where the shooters launched their attack on the Jewish festival.
The pair can be seen fighting Akram and wrestling his gun away.
The footage also shows Akram’s car draped in an Islamic State flag over the front windscreen parked next to the bridge.
The pair died tragically in each other’s arms, with photos of their final moments also shared online.
Fifteen people were killed during the horrific shooting. The youngest was a ten-year-old girl named Matilda.
Man threw bricks at shooter before his death
In yet another act of pure bravery from the Bondi massacre, the daughter of victim Reuven Morrison says he confronted Akram and threw a brick at him before he was killed.
Mr Morrison, a 62-year-old Soviet-born member of the ultra-orthodox Jewish community, was shot and killed in the attack.
His daughter, Sheina Gutnick, told CBS News he was trying to stop the shooter after shop owner Ahmed al-Ahmed tackled the man.
“From my sources and understanding, he had jumped up the second the shooting started. He managed to throw bricks at the terrorist,” she said.
Hero Ahmed Al Ahmed speaks out for the first time
The heroic bystander who took down and disarmed one of the Bondi terrorists also spoke for the first time from his hospital bed on Tuesday.
Sydney tobacco shop owner Ahmed Al Ahmed has been lauded as a hero for taking down one of the shooters at the vile massacre at Bondi Beach on the weekend.
Dramatic footage captures Mr Al Ahmed lunging at the father, disarming him after he runs out of ammunition.
“May Allah reward you and grant wellbeing,” he said in Arabic.
“Through Allah, I went through a very difficult phase, only Allah knows it,” he continued.
“I ask my mother, the apple of my eye, to pray for me. Pray for me, my mother.
“God willing, it will be a minor injury.
“Pay for me that Allah eases our situation, and deliver us from this hardship.”
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