Three bystanders who reportedly tried to stop the gunman before the Bondi Beach shooting on Sunday were killed in the attack, according to Australian media reports.
Two of the victims were identified as Boris Gurman, a 69-year-old retired mechanic, and his 61-year-old wife Sofia, a postal worker. The Russian-Jewish couple had been married for 34 years.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Boris tackled the 50-year-old gunman, Sajid Akram, as he emerged from his car, disarming him and holding him at gunpoint. Sophia assisted in trying to subdue the attacker. However, Akram retrieved another firearm and shot both at close range.
Another victim, 62-year-old Reuven Morrison, reportedly threw a brick at the gunman as he retreated toward a pedestrian bridge. Morrison’s daughter said he would only have left this world "fighting a terrorist," adding that "he fought for those he loved."
The shooting, which police have declared a terrorist incident, left 16 people dead, including one assailant, and 40 others injured.
