AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
It's been a week since the mass shooting at Bondi Beach. Gunmen killed 15 people there and injured dozens more. Now Australia has marked an official day of reflection, and reporter Phil Mercer was there.
PHIL MERCER: A minute of silence for the victims of the Bondi Beach shooting.
The nation paused to share its grief, but also to remember the great heroism shown a week ago.
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AHMED AL AHMED: Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER ANTHONY ALBANESE: Your courage is inspiring.
AL AHMED: Thank you very much.
MERCER: Syrian immigrant Ahmed Al Ahmed, a grocery store owner, was injured when he challenged one of the Bondi gunmen and wrestled his firearm from him. He's had surgery in hospital. He's been visited by Anthony Albanese, the prime minister, who's praised his actions.
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ALBANESE: He found himself at a moment where people were being shot in front of him. He decided to take action.
MERCER: The shootings took place at the end of a warm summer's day at Australia's most famous beach. This Swedish tourist, who asked NPR not to use her name for privacy reasons, says she was forced to run for her life.
UNIDENTIFIED TOURIST: We were having a picnic at the beach, celebrating Advent, a Swedish tradition, and started hearing gunshots. We're looking around. We thought it was fireworks at first, but then the police sirens came on, and we saw the whole beach running in panic in different directions. So we ran barefoot to the closest house that we could see and locked ourselves in.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: (Singing in non-English language).
MERCER: In the aftermath of the attack, thousands of people continued to gather for the Jewish Festival of Lights or Hanukkah, as the names of some of the 15 victims were read out.
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UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: Dan Elkayam, Alex Kleytman, Reuven Morrison and now also Edith Brutman.
MERCER: Investigators say two flags of the militant group, Islamic State, along with homemade bombs, were found in the younger alleged gunman's car. Naveed Akram, who's 24, has been charged with almost 60 offenses, including 15 counts of murder. His father, Sajid, an Indian national who migrated to Australia in the 1990s, was shot dead by the police. In Bondi, local independent lawmaker Allegra Spender says Australia's way of life is under attack.
ALLEGRA SPENDER: We do have to focus on those extremists and what we can do to prevent that in the future, but we also need to remember the humanity that was shown.
MERCER: For some Jewish Australians, the attack at Bondi Beach felt inevitable, following years of rising antisemitism. Gun crime in Australia is rare, following the introduction of strict firearms laws after a mass shooting in Tasmania in 1996. The government has now announced a gun buyback program. Prime Minister Albanese again.
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ALBANESE: The terrible events at Bondi show we need to get more guns off our streets. States and territories will be responsible for the collection, processing and payment to individuals for surrendered firearms. The Australian federal police will then be responsible for the destruction of these firearms.
MERCER: Rabbi Yehoram Ulman presided over the funerals of Boris and Sofia Gurman, who died after trying to disarm one of the attackers.
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YEHORAM ULMAN: (Non-English language spoken).
MERCER: Dashcam footage captured their final moments.
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MERCER: Hundreds from around the country came to pay their respects, including this Jewish Australian woman who spoke outside the funeral. After speaking, she quickly walked away without giving her name.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: They died heroes, and heroes deserve to live. And they're going to live through us now. We're going to be their heroes and live Jewish, strong and proud. And they were Australian. They lived the Australian dream, and they died defending the Australian dream.
MERCER: Australia's grieving continues. A national day of mourning is planned for the new year.
For NPR News, I'm Phil Mercer at Bondi Beach in Sydney.
(SOUNDBITE OF SEAN ANGUS WATSON'S "SIREN") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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