Man who disarmed alleged gunman at Bondi Beach hailed as a hero
A man who disarmed a gunman during a deadly attack at Australiaโs famous Bondi Beach on Sunday has been hailed as a โgenuine heroโ by New South Wales Premier Chris Minns.
Officials have declared the shooting a terrorist act and said the attack, which killed at least 11 people, was โdesigned to targetโ Jewish people. An event marking the first night of Hanukkah was underway at Bondi Beach at the time of the attack.
Dramatic video verified by NBC News appears to show multiple shooters and the moment that a man holding a gun is disarmed by another individual.
In the footage, a man in a white T-shirt crouches behind a parked car before rushing one of the alleged shooters from behind. After a brief struggle, he wrestles the weapon away. The shooter then backs away before the man places the weapon beside a palm tree.
The video appears to show a shoot-out continuing moments later, as a second gunman standing on a bridge fires repeatedly toward people attempting to intervene.
Minns praised the unidentified man who disarmed the alleged shooter.
โThat man is a genuine hero, and Iโve got no doubt there are many, many people alive tonight as a result of his bravery,โ he said.
One man believed to be among the attackers was killed, New South Wales police said. A second alleged shooter is in a critical condition. Neither has been publicly identified.
More 1,000 people had gathered Sunday evening on Bondi Beach for an event to celebrate the start of Hanukkah.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the violence as an โact of evil antisemitism,โ vowing that the country will eradicate โhate, violence and terrorism.โ
โAs prime minister, I say on behalf of all Australians to the Jewish community, โWe stand with you,โโ he told a press conference on Sunday, adding that a national security committee had been convened as a matter of urgency Sunday evening.
World leaders and other officials have also expressed condolences and condemnation.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said โantisemitism has no place in this world.โ
โThe United States strongly condemns the terrorist attack in Australia targeting a Jewish celebration,โ he said in a post on X. โOur prayers are with the victims of this horrific attack, the Jewish community, and the people of Australia.โ

French President Emmanuel Macron said France โextends its thoughts to the victims, the injured and their loved ones,โ adding that the country would continue to fight antisemitic hatred โwhere it strikes.โ
Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the violence a โvery cruel attack on Jews,โ while United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the โheinous deadly attack.โ
Bondi Beach is one of Australiaโs most iconic beaches, with more than 2 million tourists visiting in 2024.
With 11 people confirmed dead, the attack at Bondi Beach becomes the deadliest shooting in Australia since the Port Arthur attack in 1996, when 35 people were killed and dozens more were injured.
In that attack, a lone gunman opened fire in the town on the island of Tasmania. The attack prompted the government to introduce some of the worldโs strictest gun control measures, after which the number of gun attacks dropped drastically.
