Who is Reuven Morrison? A father who was killed after hurling bricks at Bondi Beach gunman

Ahmed Al Ahmed is one of the bravest Australians today. He has gained international fame for disarming one of the Bondi Beach terrorists. Now, the story of another hero has emerged: Reuven Morrison. Unfortunately, unlike Ahmed, the 62-year-old Jewish businessman did not survive.     

Reuven Morrison died in the shooting as they confronted the gunman after Ahmed disarmed him. His daughter, Sheina Gutnick, told the media that her father was throwing bricks at the Bondi Beach attacker to stop him from firing at the crowd.

Here is what we know about Reuven Morrison 

Reuven Morrison, another hero of the Bondi Beach attack 

In the 1970s, Reuven Morrison left the former Soviet Union and migrated to Australia as a teenager, he told  ABC  in an interview exactly a year ago. He was a businessman and member of the Chabad community. 

Morrison was a longtime resident of Melbourne, where he lived with his wife and daughter. He built his business in Sydney. “He was a successful businessman whose main goal was to give away his earnings to charities dear to his heart, notably Chabad of Bondi,”  Chabad.org,  the movement that promotes Judaism, posted on X.   

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While Morrison spent more time in Melbourne, he discovered his Jewish identity in Sydney, where he served as an assistant at Bondi’s Wellington Street synagogue.

In an interview with  ABC  in 2024, Morrison narrated that he had experienced persecution as a Jewish person in the Soviet Union but didn’t expect it to happen in Australia. “We came here with the view that Australia is the safest country in the world and the Jews would not be faced with such anti-Semitism in the future, where we can bring up our kids in a safe environment.”

When Reuven Morrison came face-to-face with the shooter

In a footage that emerged from the attack, Morrison can be seen standing and pointing at one of the shooters, Sajid Akram, as he fired his gun. The video shows two bullets missing the businessman narrowly, but he refuses to cower or run.

🚨 BREAKING: Video emerges of Reuven Morrison confronting one of the Terrorists moments before he was murdered.

I’ve now seen the following footage of Reuven Morrison Z"L confronting one of the murderers moments before he was killed Al-Kiddush Hashem.

What stands out is not… https://t.co/Ea9jZ8VDQd pic.twitter.com/sypuTKnqVm

— Kofy Time (@kofy_time) December 15, 2025

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Another man is seen standing beside him; both appear like they are trying to draw the terrorist’s attention away from others, according to  News.com.    

“What stands out is not chaos or panic but resolve,” a person who shared the footage on social media said, “Faced with pure evil, he did not retreat, hide, or save himself. He confronted it head-on, buying precious moments for others at the cost of his own life. 

“This was not recklessness. It was courage in its purest form. Reuven Morrison chose self-sacrifice over self-preservation.”

‘Dad threw bricks at attacker, died a hero’ 

Sheina Gutnick, daughter of the Morrison, said her father “screamed and threw bricks” at the Bondi Beach attacker, in a courageous attempt to save his community. 

Gutnick told  CBS News, “From my sources and understanding, he had jumped up the second the shooting started. He managed to throw bricks … he was screaming at the terrorist, and protecting his community, he was shot dead." 

When asked about her thoughts when she first saw the footage of her father, she said, “That’s him. That’s my dad. As I called him, my Tati, in Yiddish.” 

Gutnick also narrated how she felt after learning about the devastating news of her father’s death. “I immediately felt the biggest pit in my stomach and tried calling my father, who did not pick up the phone. I then called my mother, and I heard screaming, shouting.”   

“My mum was screaming that they had stopped working on him and that he had been covered by a sheet. I was hoping in her hysterical state that she was just being delusional and that wasn’t the case," the woman said. 

She asserted that her father was attempting to stop one of the gunmen after Ahmed, the other Bondi hero, managed to disarm the attacker. 

“I believe after Ahmed managed to get the gun off the terrorist, my father had then gone to try and unjam the gun, to try and attempt shooting. He was screaming at the terrorist,” she told  CBS News. 

“If there was one way for him (my father) to go on this Earth, it would be fighting a terrorist. There was no other way he would be taken from us. He went down fighting, protecting the people he loved most.”   

Gutnick also went on to criticise the Australian government for failing to protect the Jewish community and address the rising tide of antisemitism. “I feel betrayed by the government. I feel the signs were coming for a long, long time. The warning bells were there, and the government sat doing nothing,” she asserted.

“Australia’s not a home for Jews anymore. It can’t be. If we are shot dead while celebrating our religious festival of lights, of pride, of celebrating who we are, and if we can’t do that, Australia is not a home for us anymore. We can’t be here.”   

Gutnick believes that the attack has left her with a sense of “betrayal”, stating that her father fled the former Soviet Union to escape antisemitic persecution decades ago, and now he died in this manner while celebrating a festival. “He came to Australia because he thought that this would be safe,’ she said. 

Ahmed Al Ahmed recuperates   

Meanwhile, Ahmed spoke out from the hospital, where he had undergone surgery for the two gunshot wounds he sustained during the attack. Türkiye’s public broadcaster,  TRT World,  shared a video of Ahmed in which he sent prayers to the supporters. 

“I appreciate the efforts of everyone. May Allah reward you and grant you well-being. God willing, we will return to you with joy. Thank you for your efforts," he said. 

“I went through a very difficult phase, only Allah knows it. … I ask my mother, the apple of my eye, to pray for me,” added the shop owner turned hero in a video message.   

Albanese meets Ahmed in hospital 

“Ahmed al-Ahmed represents the best of our country,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised the Syrian-born shopkeeper after visiting him at St George Hospital in Sydney’s south.   

“His bravery is an inspiration for all Australians. He is a very humble man,” Albanese added. During the PM’s half-hour visit, Ahmed explained what went through his head when he saw a gunman attacking innocent people. 

Albanese said after speaking to Ahmed, “He was trying to get a cup of coffee, simple as that, and found himself at a moment where people were being shot in front of him. He decided to take action.” 

The Australian leader also met Ahmed’s parents in the hospital.   

In a social media post, the premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns, said that he visited St George Hospital to meet Ahmed and conveyed the gratitude of people across the state. A picture of Minns at Ahmed’s bedside, with a caption, “Ahmed is a real-life hero. “Thank you, Ahmed."   

With inputs from agencies