Two victims of the Bondi Beach shooting were photographed in tragic final moments as they tried to tackle one of the attackers.
Fifteen innocent lives were lost in what stands as Australia’s second-deadliest mass shooting.
Authorities claim that Naveed Akram, 24, and his father Sajid Akram, 50, positioned themselves on a footbridge at the eastern Sydney beach on Sunday evening and fired into a crowd marking Hanukkah.
An image shared across social media platforms depicts a man falling to the ground next to Sajid whilst gripping a weapon he had just wrestled from the shooter.
A woman can be seen in the vicinity
“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.”
‘Everyone else was running away’
An onlooker who witnessed the confrontation also praised the man’s bravery. “We saw him bravely try to disarm this evil terrorist. His family should know he was trying to save lives,” the witness said.
Another bystander, local resident Jenny, told the Xiaoxiang Morning Post that she mistook the initial sounds for fireworks before spotting two men wrestling as she parked. She said: “I was stunned. Everyone else was running away.”
Jenny reported seeing Sajid alight from a vehicle before being swiftly tackled by an older man – whom she estimated to be in his 70s or 80s – who managed to seize the long firearm.
Upon witnessing a gunman firing from the footbridge, Jenny promptly drove to the beach to gather her family before hurrying home.
She said: “I’ve lived in Australia for more than 20 years, and this is the most horrific attack I’ve ever witnessed.”
Tragic discovery
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 recounted checking the man’s pulse and breathing and initiating CPR before another bystander cautioned that it was unsafe and that the man had already passed away. 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 individuals remain in critical condition, with another 26 receiving treatment across seven Sydney hospitals.
Among those injured was Ahmed Al-Ahmed, who bravely disarmed one of the attackers. Video footage captured the 43 year old father of two seizing Sajid Akram from behind and wrestling his rifle away.
Heroics captured and witnessed around the world
Akram toppled backwards as Mr Al-Ahmed hoisted the weapon, aiming it at the gunman without pulling the trigger, before propping it against a tree.
This dramatic encounter unfolded under the watchful eye of the second alleged shooter, Naveed Akram, who remained armed on the footbridge. Naveed Akram was rushed to hospital with critical injuries under police escort, while his father was fatally shot at the scene by police.
Mr Al-Ahmed, a Syrian-born tobacconist, sustained gunshot wounds to the shoulder and arm after taking cover behind a tree and is currently receiving treatment at St George Hospital.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed his plans to meet with Mr Al-Ahmed following a visit from NSW Premier Chris Minns. “He’s a hero,” declared Mr Albanese, emphasising that his courage “needs to be recognised.”
