Married couple lauded for effort to thwart Bondi Beach shootings / Photo: © AFP
Married couple lauded for effort to thwart Bondi Beach shootings
A married couple killed in the mass shooting at Bondi Beach have been lauded for their bravery, after dashcam footage showed them wrestling with a gunman at the start of the attack.
Sajid Akram and his son Naveed opened fire on people thronging the famous Sydney beach for the Jewish festival of Hanukkah on Sunday evening, killing 15 people and wounding dozens more.
Dashcam footage showed retired mechanic Boris Gurman, 69, knocking the elder attacker to the ground as he tries to rip away his long-barrelled gun.
The longtime Bondi resident gets hold of Sajid Akram's weapon, aiming it at the gunman, as his wife Sofia, 61, dashes towards him in support.
Akram reportedly managed to get another gun, and the couple were shot and killed.
"In recent days, we have become aware of footage showing Boris, with Sofia by his side, courageously attempting to disarm an attacker in an effort to protect others," the Gurman family said in a statement.
"While nothing can lessen the pain of losing Boris and Sofia, we feel an overwhelming sense of pride in their bravery and selflessness.
"This encapsulates who Boris and Sofia were -- people who instinctively and selflessly tried to help others."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the Gurmans were "Australian heroes".
"I pay tribute to Boris and Sofia Gurman. Boris attacked one of these terrorists as he got out of the car.
"And that caused Mr and Ms Gurman... to lose their life."
Fruit seller Ahmed al Ahmed has also been praised for his bravery during the attack.
Footage showed Ahmed ducking between parked cars as the shooting unfolded before wresting a gun from one of the assailants' hands.
Ahmed was shot several times in the shoulder after the tussle and was scheduled to undergo surgery on Wednesday.
(V.Korablyov--DTZ)
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