Video shows couple trying to stop Bondi attackers: “Bravery and selflessness”
Newly revealed video footage shows a couple in their 60s trying to stop the deadly terrorist attack at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Australia just before it took place.
A vehicle’s dashcam captured the footage just moments before the carnage erupted. In the footage, local resident Boris Gurman, 69, can be seen grabbing the rifle from one of the two gunmen as they unloaded their weapons from their car. An ISIS flag can be seen draped over the car’s windshield in the video.
Gurman was fatally shot on the sidewalk after confronting the suspect. Seconds later, his wife Sofia, 61, was also shot and killed.
“While nothing can ease the pain of losing Boris and Sofia, we feel an immense sense of pride for their courage and selflessness,” their family said in a statement, CBS News partner BBC News reported.
“This sums up who Boris and Sofia were: people who instinctively and selflessly tried to help others,” the family said.
Boris and Sofia Gurman are seen on dashcam video trying to stop the deadly terrorist attack during a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Australia. / Credit: Jenny
The Jewish couple were the first victims of the shooting targeting the Jewish community, which killed at least 15 people and injured many others.
The Gurmans were married for 34 years. Boris Gurman was a retired mechanic known for his generosity, and Sofia Gurman worked for the Australian Postal Service and was loved by her colleagues, the family said.
“The people of Bondi lived honest, hardworking lives together and treated everyone they met with kindness, warmth and respect,” the family statement said. “Boris and Sofia were devoted to their family and to each other. They were the heart of our family and their absence has left an immeasurable void.”
Officials said the attack could have been even deadlier without the acts of heroism of those who risked their lives to stop it.
Sheina Gutnick said that her father Reuven Morrison was one of those heroes. He was seen on video throwing bricks at the gunmen before being killed in the attack.
“He fought, protecting the people he loved most,” Gutnick said.
She added that rising anti-Semitism was also behind the attack.
“I feel betrayed by the government,” she said. “I feel like the signs were coming for a long, long time.”
An undated family photo shared with CBS News by Sheina Gutnick shows her with her father, Reuven Morrison, 62, who was among 15 people killed on Dec. 14, 2025, when two gunmen opened fire on a Jewish gathering at Bondi Beach in Australia. / Credit: Courtesy of Sheina Gutnick
Ahmed al Ahmeda local fruit shop owner who moved to Australia from Syria, was also seen on video tackling one of the gunmen from behind and pushing away the rifle aimed at the crowd.
Al Ahmed was still recovering in a Sydney hospital from gunshot wounds on Tuesday when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese came to visit him.
The prime minister said Al Ahmed, 42, was scheduled to undergo another surgery on Wednesday for injuries to his left shoulder and upper body, and he called it a great honor to meet him.
“He’s a true Australian hero,” Albanese told reporters after spending about half an hour with al Ahmed and his parents, who recently joined their son in Australia, at the hospital.
“We are a brave country. Ahmed al Ahmed represents the best of our country. We will not allow this country to be divided. That is what terrorists are looking for,” Albanese said. “We will come together. We will embrace each other and we will get through this.”
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