The daughter of one in all the victims of the Bondi Beach mass shooting has said he could only leave this earth ‘fighting a terrorist’.
Reuven Morrison, 62, was one in all the 15 people killed on Sydney’s Bondi Beach during a Hanukkah celebration on Sunday.
He was seen in a white shirt bravely declaring Sajid Akram as he opened fire sparking mass panic on the beach event with 2,000 attendees.
Moments after he was disarmed by passing fruit vendor Ahmed al Ahmed Mr Morrison may be seen throwing a brick at Akram forcing him to retreat to a position where he was eventually shot dead by police.
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(Picture: Sky News)
Mr Morrison’s daughter, Sheina Gutnick told CBS he died as a hero, throwing a brick at one in all the shooters, attempting to protect others.
‘If there was a technique for him to go on this earth, it might be fighting a terrorist,’ Gutnick said.
‘There was no other way he could be taken for us. He went down fighting, protecting the people he loved essentially the most’
‘I consider after Ahmed managed to get the gun off the terrorist, my father had then gone to attempt to unjam the gun, to attempt to attempt shooting. He was screaming on the terrorist,’ she added.
‘My dear father, Reuven Morrison was shot dead for being Jewish at a Hanukkah event on Bondi Beach while protecting lives, while jumping up, putting his own life in danger to avoid wasting his fellow Jewish community members.’
She described Mr Morrison, a Soviet-born member of the ultra-orthodox Jewish community in Australia, had ‘absolute immense and infinite generosity.’
The phobia attack yesterday was one in all the deadliest attacks on the Jewish community within the nation’s history.
Details are still emerging on the victims, who had gathered that afternoon with their children and grandchildren to have a good time the festival of sunshine.
The attack has been declared a terrorist incident targeting a celebration in Sydney on the primary day of Hanukkah.
Hanukkah, also referred to as Chanukah, is an eight-day Jewish festival of lights, normally observed in December.
British-born Eli Schlanger, 41, who grew up in Temple Fortune, north London, and was assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi, has been named as one in all those killed.
On Monday evening, people gathered in remembrance of those killed at a memorial co-ordinated by the Campaign Against Antisemitism and Chabad UK in Parliament Square, central London.
Speaking on the event, Tory shadow attorney general Lord Wolfson, who’s a relative of Mr Schlanger, said he desired to see people ‘being more muscular in defending the values that make the UK the society we wish it to be.’
He added: ‘When marches in London called for Jihad, and the Metropolitan Police told us that Jihad can mean personal development or personal reflection.
‘It is likely to be in a theological seminar, but when shouted on the streets of London, we all know what it means – it means an attack on Jews, and so let’s have a good time Hanukkah publicly, proudly as Jews and as members of UK society.’
Labour’s Ashley Dalton was heckled on the event as she pledged solidarity with Jewish people.
The Government minister said: ‘We’re here to face together against the hatred and vitriol from wherever it comes. The Government doesn’t and is not going to tolerate antisemitism.’
She was interrupted by calls of ‘stop the marches’ and ‘we wish motion not words’ from some people in the group, before continuing after a rabbi stepped on to the stage and called for the listeners to be ‘ambassadors of sunshine’ and permit her to talk.
Chatting with applause, Gideon Falter said ‘celebrating Hanukkah is just an act of celebration, but tonight it appears like an act of defiance.’
He added: ‘Unfortunately, Jews have been warning in regards to the dangers of extremism and radicalism running amok in our country for years and time has run out.’
‘It’s time not for thoughts and prayers or words of solidarity, but motion from our legislators, motion from our Government.’
He also warned ‘individuals who turn their guns on Jews will turn their guns on everybody else next’.
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