Dramatic dashcam footage has emerged capturing the final heroic moments of Boris and Sofia Gurman, a married couple who attempted to disarm a gunman during the Bondi Beach shooting that claimed 15 lives. The video evidence shows 69-year-old Boris Gurman, a retired mechanic, physically engaging with one alleged attacker and successfully wresting a firearm away from him during Sunday’s attack at a Hanukkah celebration event.
The footage reveals Mr. Gurman knocking the suspect to the ground before striking him with the confiscated weapon. Tragically, the assailant reportedly produced another firearm and shot both Boris and his 61-year-old wife Sofia, who worked at Australia Post. The couple, who were Jewish and had been married for 34 years, became the first confirmed fatalities in the devastating attack.
In an emotional statement, the Gurman family expressed both profound grief and immense pride in the couple’s selfless actions. ‘While nothing can lessen the pain of losing Boris and Sofia, we feel an overwhelming sense of pride in their bravery and selflessness,’ the statement read. ‘This encapsulates who Boris and Sofia were – people who instinctively and selflessly tried to help others.’
Witnesses have unanimously described Mr. Gurman as a hero who deliberately confronted danger rather than fleeing. The owner of the dashcam footage told Reuters that Mr. Gurman ‘charged straight toward the danger, using all his strength trying to wrestle away the gun and fighting to the death.’ Another eyewitness told 9News: ‘He was a hero. He tried, he tried. Everyone needs to know what he did because it was right in the beginning. He put himself in the face of danger.’
The attack, which police allege was carried out by 50-year-old Sajid Akram and his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram, claimed victims ranging in age from 10 to 87. Among those killed were a 10-year-old girl, a British-born rabbi, a retired police officer, and a Holocaust survivor. The Gurmans were due to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary in January, with their family remembering them as ‘the heart of our family’ whose absence has ‘left an immeasurable void.’