‘True heroine’: 14-year-old girl shielded two children from gunfire at Bondi Beach shooting

Heroes are not born, they are made. A 14-year-old girl is being hailed as a “true heroine” after she shielded two young children with her own injured body during the deadly shooting at Bondi Beach last week, reports the New York Post.

The teenager was attending the Chanukah by the Sea event on Sunday when gunmen Sajid Akram (50) and his son Naveen Akram, (24) opened fire on the crowd. 15 people were killed in the attack, while 22 others remain in the hospital. Nine of the injured are in a critical condition. Sajid was killed by police in a gunfight, and Naveed was captured.


Despite being struck by a bullet herself, the girl protected two children whose mothers were killed in the massacre. Former IDF soldier Eli Afriat shared the story of bravery on X, posting a photo of the teenager recovering in hospital. He wrote that she “lay down over two young children whose mothers were murdered in the attack, thereby saving their lives”, calling her “A true heroine”.

The post went viral, and it was also shared on Facebook by the Hertfordshire Friends of Israel page.

Other than the strong-willed teenager, there was another man who risked his life to stop one of the gunmen. 50-year-old Ahmed al Ahmed caught one of the gunmen, Naveed, off guard. The hero stole the shooter's gun after an armed tussle with him. Ahmed was injured and taken to a nearby hospital. A fundraiser was started for him on GoFundMe, which raised over $1.2 million. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu also praised him for putting his life on the line to protect the Jewish community.