Daughter Says Father Died Defending Others in Antisemitic Bondi Beach Attack

SYDNEY — The daughter of a man killed in Sunday’s terror attack at Bondi Beach says her father was targeted because he was Jewish and died while trying to stop one of the gunmen at a Hanukkah gathering.

Sheina Gutnick told U.S. media that her father, Reuven Morrison, 62, a Soviet-born member of Australia’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, rushed toward the shooter when the attack began. Authorities have described the incident as an antisemitic act of terrorism.

According to Gutnick, Morrison attempted to disrupt the attacker by throwing nearby objects and assisting another bystander who managed to disarm one of the suspects. She believes her father tried to make the weapon unusable before he was fatally shot.

“He put himself in danger to protect others,” Gutnick said, describing her father as someone who acted without hesitation.

Reuven Morrison was one of the people who was killed on Sydney's Bondi Beach during a mass shooting during a Hanukkah celebration on Sunday. His daughter, Sheina Gutnick, daughter said he died as a hero, throwing a brick at one of the shooters, trying to protect others.

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Video footage later confirmed by journalists shows Morrison confronting one of the assailants shortly after another man tackled and disarmed him.

Gutnick said she learned of her father’s death while attending a separate Hanukkah event in Melbourne. After being unable to reach him, she spoke with her mother, who was at the scene and described the chaos as emergency responders tried to save his life.

Morrison had escaped the Soviet Union decades ago due to antisemitic persecution and settled in Australia believing it offered security and freedom, Gutnick said.

She accused the government of failing to confront growing antisemitism and said the attack shattered her sense of safety in the country.

“If Jews can be murdered while celebrating a religious holiday, then something is deeply broken,” she said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the attack Monday while visiting the site, pledging that authorities would take action to combat antisemitism and protect the Jewish community.

Police said one suspect was killed at the scene, while another remains hospitalized. Investigators are examining the backgrounds of both individuals and the circumstances surrounding the attack.

Gutnick said her father’s final actions reflected who he was.

“He lived a life of courage,” she said. “And in his final moments, he acted to save others.”