Victim of Bondi massacre is Holocaust survivor who died saving wife

A grandfather who survived the atrocities of the Holocaust has been identified as one of the victims killed in the Bondi Beach shooting.

Ukrainian-Australian Alex Kleytman died while trying to protect his wife Larisa when two gunmen allegedly opened fire on innocent people celebrating a Jewish festival on Sunday evening.

Mrs Kleytman told the Daily Mail her husband, who she has been married to for 50 years, suffered a gunshot wound to the head.

'I think he was shot because he raised himself up to protect me, in the back of the head,' she said.

The pair, who travelled to Bondi from Matraville to celebrate Hanukkah, share two children and 11 grandchildren.

Both Larisa and Alex, an 87-year-old retired civil engineer, survived the Holocaust as children and had later moved to Australia in the hope of a better life.

The pair had shared their experiences with the Australian Jewish charity JewishCare in 2023.

'Alex's memories are particularly harrowing; recalling the dreadful conditions in Siberia where he, along with his mother and younger brother, struggled for survival,' the JewishCare annual report said.

'The scars of the past, however, did not deter them from seeking a brighter future. They later made the move to Australia, immigrating from Ukraine.'

Ms Kleytman told The Australian she heard a huge 'boom boom' sound and saw people collapse around her when gunshots suddenly started firing. 

'At this moment he (Alex) was behind me and at one moment he decided to go close to me. He pushed his body up because he wanted to stay near me.

'His body is still there and I am sitting there and don't know what I have to do.'

A total of 16 people have been confirmed dead, including one of the alleged shooters, who were both father and son. 

One of the alleged gunmen, Naveed Akram, 24, suffered critical injuries and remains in hospital under police guard.

His 50-year-old father, Sajid Akram, was shot dead by police.

The father Sajid is a licensed firearms holder who held six firearms, which were all recovered at the scene in Bondi.

'He had six firearms licensed to him,' NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said.

'We are satisfied that we have six firearms from the scene yesterday, but also as a result of the search warrant at the Campsie address.

'Ballistics and forensic investigation will determine those six firearms are the six that were licenced to that man, but also they were used in the offence yesterday at Bondi.'

Among the victims include a ten-year-old girl and a 27-year-old French Jewish citizen. 

The alleged gunmen had opened fire on those celebrating the festival, Chanukah by the Sea, which was advertised as a night of family fun.

Forty-two people remain in hospital, including two police officers.