Couple gunned down as they tried to stop massacre

A DEVOTED elderly couple died side by side as they heroically and desperately tried to stop the Bondi Beach terror attack.

- BY PAUL JEEVES Crime Editor

Boris Gurman, 69, and his wife Sofia, 61, were gunned down when they confronted Sajid Akram as he prepared to open fire at a Jewish community gathering to celebrate the first day of Hanukkah on Sunday.

The couple were due to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary next month and Mrs Gurman would have turned 62 today, with their son having flown to Australia to help her celebrate.

Instead they lost their lives as they bravely tried to tackle Islamic State-inspired Akram, 50, as he launched the murderous assault with his son Naveed, 24, that left 15 dead and dozens injured.

Dashcam footage emerged showing Mr Gurman ripping away the jihadi’s weapon moments after he and his son had clambered out of their ISIS-flagged car on a parade leading to Sydney’s famed beach.

The couple then tussled with the older shooter for over a minute before Akram was able to grab a second gun and open fire on the couple.

Heartbreaking pictures of the crime scene circulating in the aftermath of the massacre showed Mrs Gurman died while laying over her husband’s bloodied corpse.

The father and son killers ran to a footbridge from where they indiscriminately fired towards the crowds on the beach. It is understood the Gurmans are Russian Jews from the former Soviet Union who have lived in Australia for decades.