Bondi Beach attack: Ten minutes of terror, the massacre as it happened

The Bondi Beach massacre was almost stopped before it began.

Russian-speaking Jewish immigrants Boris and Sofia Gurman confronted Sajid Akram on Campbell Parade, the suburb’s main beach thoroughfare, next to his car, which had an Islamic State flag draped over the windscreen.

Mr Gurman, in a mauve short-sleeved shirt and shorts wrestled a long-arm rifle from Akram, dash-cam footage from passing cars showed. Wielding the gun like a club, he fought hand-to-hand with the heavily built 50-year-old. The available footage, pictured above, does not show what happened next, but the couple were later found dead next to the car.

The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies confirmed their deaths in a statement from the family on Tuesday night.

“We are heartbroken by the sudden and senseless loss of our beloved Boris (69) and Sofia Gurman (61),” it said.

“They had been married for 34 years, with their 35th wedding anniversary approaching in January. We were looking forward to celebrating Sofia’s 62nd birthday on Wednesday 17th of December.

“Boris was a retired mechanic, known for his generosity, quiet strength and willingness to lend a hand to anyone in need. Sofia worked at Australia Post and was deeply loved by her colleagues and community. Together, they lived honest, hardworking lives and treated everyone they met with kindness, warmth and respect.

“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.”

The fight took place next to or close to a concrete bridge used by Akram and his 24-year-old son, Naveed, for the attack.

Wielding a shotgun, the older man entered the adjacent Archer Park, where the Chanukkah by the Sea event was taking place. Naveed stayed on the bridge, firing a bolt-action rifle with telescopic sights.

Hundreds of people in and around the park sought safety. Many ran away. Others, especially those with children, did not want to risk running across open ground. They hid under or behind cars. A few sheltered behind plastic chairs, desperately hoping they would not be seen.

One of them was a member of the Gutnicks, a well-known Jewish orthodox family from Sydney. He filmed the attack shortly after it began, when festive music continued to play as shots rung out every few seconds.

“They’re shooting at us,” he can be heard shouting the video, which was shared with The Nightly. “The police cannot get them! F---ing idiots!”

Help was on the way. The sound of sirens can be heard in the background. Some police officers were caught in the gunfire too, although they chose to seek cover rather than expose themselves to the risk of being shot.

“Four policemen there didn’t fire back,” another survivor, Shmulik Skuri, told Seven News. “I didn’t understand why, why.”

The clearest footage of the attack was taken from a building directly opposite the bridge. Running 10 minutes and 39 seconds, it shows Sajid Akram advancing from the bridge into Archer Park with his shotgun, presumably because the weapon did not have the range to reach the many people running away.

Two minutes and 12 seconds into the video, as the two men fire furiously, a bystander can be heard yelling: “Where are the cops! Where are the cops, man!”

Still cowering on the ground in Archer Park, Mr Gutnick asked the same question. “How long is shooting and the police is not here!” he said. “Where are the police! Ten minutes!”

A woman screamed: “Stay down! Stay Down!”

Asked on Tuesday to respond to Mr Skuri’s complaint, NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said he could not say how many officers were in the park. “We had police moving through the area regularly,” he said.

In the park, north of the bridge, Sajid Akram’s shotgun was wrestled away by Ahmed al-Ahmed, a shopkeeper who was then shot several times in the right shoulder and arm by Naveed Akram. The now-famous video of Mr Ahmed’s bravery also shows a policewoman hiding behind a car a short distance from the bridge.

Without his gun, Sajid decided to return to the bridge, where he would be protected by its thick walls and son. He either crawled up the stairs or crouched, perhaps to seek protection from its walls or because he was injured. A second rifle was on the ground. He picked it up.

Armed with Glock pistols, some of the police officers present had been in the force a few months. Others were more experienced. They began shooting back. Sajid sat down and fired. Naveed fired standing up, reloading the breech every second.

At four minutes and 13 seconds into the main video, a bullet seems to hit a lamppost near Naveed. He ducked down.

Twenty-two seconds later a man in civilian clothes - later identified as a policeman - stepped from behind a tree to the north of the bridge and shot several times. Sajid fell back on to the ground, dead or dying.

“F---en die c---,” a person said in the main video. “They’re going to kill ya.”

Naveed did not provide aid to his father. Instead, he turned to the south, presumably because shots were coming from there too.

For the next minute and 18 seconds, Naveed stood and crouched like a boxer trying to avoid being hit as he fought a gun battle with several police officers. Two were hit.

“They weren’t shot in the back as they were running away,” NSW Premier Chris Minns said on Tuesday. “They were shot in the front.”

One of those police officers might have been shot in the park where the Mr Gutnick was hiding.

“Hey, policeman,” he said on the video, “are you ok?”

No response is audible.

“He’s not ok,” he said, apparently talking to someone else. “He got shot.”

Five minutes and 51 seconds into the main video, a volley of four shots is heard. They were too rapid to be from a single-shot rifle.

Naveed stumbled and righted himself. Another shot rung out. He collapsed and did not fire again.

“Fuck Yea!” someone said. “Yup they got him. He’s down. He’s down. He’s down.”

Another witness in white and cream t-shirt and shorts tentatively approached the bridge from the roadside but stopped at the steps. Twelve seconds later another civilian in a black t-shirt entered the bridge and stood over the Akrams. He raised his hands in what looked like a victory sign.

Another shot rang out, and he ducked and then raised his hands with his palms facing outwards. “Stop! Stop!” bystanders called out.

Ten seconds later a policewoman entered the bridge from the roadside, her gun pointed at the man in the black t-shirt, who raised his hands in surrender.

Other witnesses ran up the stairs on the other side of the bridge. A heavy-set man punched the man in the black t-shirt and stepped on the head of one of the Akrams.

Other police officers arrived. Two grabbed the black t-shirt man and pushed him to ground, and then tried to protect him from other bystanders trying to attack him, including a man with the build of a bodybuilder who stripped of his t-shirt and tried to punch him.

The melee lasted almost a minute. The police officers turned their focus to the Akrams, and let the black t-shirt go. His presence may have explained why some witnesses initially said there were more shooters.

On Tuesday authorities said they believed the Akrams acted alone when they killed 15 and injured 40, although were inspired by Islamic State, the radical terrorist group from Syria.