Survivors of the “horrifying” Bondi Beach terror attack have praised the hero bystander who was shot while saving their infant daughter from harm.
The attack by two gunmen on Sunday left 11 dead and at least 29 injured. The shooting was declared an “act of evil antisemitism” by Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese.
Wayne and Vanessa Miller, a couple who attended the Hanukkah event on the iconic Sydney beach, recounted the terrifying moment they realised they had lost their youngest daughter as crowds fled the shooters.
The parents of three told Sky News Australia that as the shooting started, each of them grabbed hold of one of their daughters but realised their third – three-year-old Gigi – was missing.
“That’s when the absolute panic just set in,” Mr Miller recalled.
As soon as the gunfire stopped, he went in search of his daughter: “I was looking, there was just blood and bodies everywhere. [Gigi] was wearing a pink skirt, and I saw this lady lying on top of her – she had been shot.
Hear the harrowing stories of survivors from the Bondi Beach Hanukkah terror attack- tonight on The Rundown with @benitalevinWayne and Vanessa Miller recount the terrifying search for their 3-year-old amid the chaos. Full story tonight at 8 PM IST / 1 PM EST pic.twitter.com/D3sgDIBXrU
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) December 14, 2025“I saw the blood and got the fright of my life, she said: ‘Don’t worry that’s not her blood that’s my blood’.”
“I said: ‘You’ve saved my daughter’s life. I’ll be indebted to you for the rest of my life.”
The woman, whose name is Jess, was taken to hospital – her condition is unclear.
Ms Miller said: “I’m still speechless. We haven’t stopped crying, just holding on to our babies.”
‘Hero’ tackled gunman
A “hero” bystander has been praised for his actions during the shooting after he tackled and disarmed one of the gunmen.
Footage of the incident shows a man hiding behind a car before running towards the gunman and leaping on top of him, before wrestling the gun out of his hands and pointing it at the attacker.
A second man pursued the disarmed gunman, throwing an item – which appears to be a bottle or a rock – at the attacker.
The first man has been named by Australian media as Ahmed al-Ahmed – a Sydney resident who sells fruit and has two children.
twitter.com/T_Investor_/status/2000134263061307860?s=20Australian outlet 7News shared footage of Mr Ahmed being treated for a gunshot wound and said he was sent to hospital.
Mr Ahmed’s cousin, Mustafa, told 7News: “He is a hero. 100 per cent he is a hero.”
The man received thousands of tributes on social media, including from former England cricketer Michael Vaughan – who sheltered in a Bondi restaurant during the shooting.
He wrote on X: “Thanks so much to the emergency services and the guy who confronted the terrorist .. thoughts with all who have been affected.”
“The hero who disarmed one of the shooters should be Australian of the year for his heroism,” one X user wrote, while another called for a statue of the man to be built in Bondi.
New South Wales premier Chris Minns said: “That man is a genuine hero, and I’ve got no doubt there are many, many people alive tonight as a result of his bravery.”
‘I was lying on top of my son’
A survivor of the attack recalled the moment he lay on top of his son to protect him from the gunfire.
Vladimir Kotlyar, a Jewish chaplain involved in the Hanukkah event, spoke to reporters wearing a bloodstained shirt after helping other survivors.
He told 7News: “I was lying on top of my son. […] My eight-year-old son, I fell on top of him and another injured guy fell on top of me.”
Mr Kotlyar, who came to Australia as a refugee from the Soviet Union, reflected on the attack on Hanukkah celebrations.
Members of the public look at the scene at Bondi Beach following the terror attack (Photo: George Chan/Getty)He said: “Bringing the light into darkness. Darkness came to us today, to all Australia, to Bondi Beach, to Sydney. This is not the country I came [to] 30 years ago.”
One gunman was killed during the attack and the second was arrested and is in critical condition, police said.
Police found several improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in a vehicle parked at the beach before using a bomb disposal unit to remove the devices.
The car containing the explosives was “linked” to the gunman shot dead by police, the authorities confirmed.
The state premier said: “This attack was designed to target Sydney’s Jewish community on the first day of Hanukkah. What should have been a night of peace and joy celebrated in that community with families and supporters, has been shattered by this horrifying, evil attack.”
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Sir Keir Starmer released a statement on Sunday afternoon, condemning the “deeply distressing” attack.
He said: “The news that the Bondi Beach attack was an antisemitic terrorist attack against Jewish families at a Chanukah event is sickening.
“My thoughts are with the victims and their families. The United Kingdom will always stand with Australia and the Jewish community.”
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