Boris and Sofia Gurman, longtime Bondi residents, were set to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary in January. But on Sunday, they were killed on a road just off Bondi Beach, after they tried to stop one of the suspected gunmen in the attack on a Hanukkah celebration.
The bravery of the couple, along with others who confronted the attackers, has offered Australians moving insight into the way everyday citizens responded to the shooting.
The Gurmans were on Campbell Parade, a road near Bondi Beach, when one of the suspected gunmen emerged from a silver car parked close to a footbridge leading to the beach. The couple confronted him, according to dash cam footage of the moment that was captured by a passing car and verified by The New York Times.
Mr. Gurman grappled with the man, wresting what appears to be a firearm from him and knocking him to the ground. He then faced off with the suspect with his wife beside him, as bystanders took shelter at a nearby bus stop.
The couple were killed. The exact circumstances of their deaths was not clear, but later videos showed a man and woman lying motionless on the ground. They were identified by a friend of the family and in the Australian media on Tuesday.
Mr. Gurman, 69, and his wife, 61, were longtime residents of the neighborhood, according to a fund-raising page set up on GoFundMe, the crowdfunding platform, for their son, Alex Gurman. At least $140,000 Australian dollars, or $93,000, had been raised as of Tuesday evening local time on the page, which was verified by the company.
“They were people of deep kindness, quiet strength, and unwavering care for others,” a statement on the page said, adding that they were “devoted to their family and to each other.”
They spent their final moments attempting to protect others, the statement said.
“This act of bravery and selflessness reflects exactly who they were: people who instinctively chose to help, even at great personal risk,” it said.
The Gurmans were Russian-Jewish, according to the Australian news media.
Mr. Gurman was a retired mechanic, and Mrs. Gurman worked for Australia Post, according to a statement from the family published in the Australian news media.
“They were the heart of our family,” the statement said, adding that the video showed them “courageously attempting to disarm an attacker in an effort to protect others.”
“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 said.
Isabella Kwai is a Times reporter based in London, covering breaking news and other trends.
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