Bondi terror attack: Victims begin to be identified as death toll climbs to 16
A 10-year-old girl celebrating Hanukkah with her family has become the youngest victim of a terror attack at Bondi Beach that killed 15 people.
She is the face of innocence, the youngest of 15 victims aged between 10 and 87 tragically killed in the unfathomable Bondi terror attack.
Sydney girl Matilda, just 10-years-old, spent Sunday afternoon celebrating at the Hanukkah by the Sea event with her parents Michael and Valentyna, and her best friend – little sister Summer.
Matilda and Summer had their faces painted, were eating sweets, petting little lambs and celebrating the Jewish festival.
Her infectious smile was captured in several photos taken by her parents that afternoon. The “kind, bright” little girl was wearing a yellow dress and pink shoes – the picture of innocence, unaware of the horror that was to unfold at 6.47pm that night.
Sydney’s most famous beach – Bondi – was transformed from a scene of summer bliss to one of horror and carnage never seen in this country within seconds.
Below are the tragic stories of the victims of the Bondi attack who have been identified so far.
Matilda
In the moments before she was shot in the Bondi terror attack, 10-year-old Matilda was smiling and playing in a petting zoo with her little sister.
Her infectious smile was captured in several photos from the Hanukkah by the Sea event, with the little girl dressed in a yellow dress for the occasion.
She was the youngest victim in the horror massacre, innocent, and unaware of the horror that was to come at 6.47pm last night.
Matilda and her six-year-old sister Summer had their faces painted, were eating sweets, petting little lambs and celebrating Hanukkah with their parents Michael and Valentyna when the sound of gunfire rang out.
Matilda was tragically struck by one of the bullets that flew in their direction, with Summer narrowly avoiding injury too.
“It happened in front of Summer, all in front of her eyes, she saw it all,” her aunt Lina told the Telegraph through tears.
“We are beyond understanding that this happened.”
Her parents and friends from their Jewish community did everything they could to stop the bleeding from her little body, before she was rushed to hospital after suffering a gunshot wound to her stomach.
As friends rushed to the hospital to donate blood in a bid to save her life, Matilda tragically died, having lost too much blood.
“Her sister was with her grandmother, and she was asking ‘is my sister dead’,” Lina said.
“She couldn’t sleep. How do you explain that to a little girl?
“We thought she would be okay…
“You never think this will happen in Australia, now we will never be happy again.”
She said her brother and sister-in law were “heartbroken”, after spending the night in hospital saying goodbye to their precious girl.
“We are all in shock. They cannot understand this.
“She gave so much light and happiness.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to support her family in the wake of the tragedy by Matilda’s language teacher, her mother, has been named the beneficiary of the fundraiser.
“They will need so much help, we just hope the community can help them,” Lina said.
Marika Pogany
Eastern suburbs grandmother Marika Pogany is the latest Bondi massacre victim to be identified.
Her friends described her as “kind, warm and deeply loved”.
“A beautiful soul taken far too soon. My thoughts are with her family, and with all the families and victims affected by this heartbreaking event.”
A heartbreaking photo of Ms Pogany taken just prior to the attack has emerged, showing her smiling as she sat front row at the Hanukkah by the Sea celebration.
A proud member of the Jewish community, she had used her social media account to speak out against anti-semitism in Sydney.
Peter Meagher
Randwick Rugby legend Peter Meagher is the latest victim to be identified following the Bondi massacre.
Mr Meagher, who was also a well-known local photographer, was at the beach with his camera covering Hunukkah celebrations when it’s understood he was hit in the gunfire.
Shattered friends and locals have been devastated by the news, labelling him the “nicest man you could ever meet”.
“Horrific. Such a good person,” another said.
Mr Meagher, affectionately known as Marzo, was also a well-known figure in the Randwick Rugby Club.
In his professional life, Peter served almost four decades in the NSW Police Force and retired as a Detective Sergeant, where he was hugely respected by his police colleagues.
He’s understood to be the first non-Jewish victim.
Tibor Weitzen
Jewish man Tibor Weitzen was tragically killed while shielding his wife from the gunfire as they celebrated Hanukkah on the Bondi foreshore.
Mr Weitzen died in hospital last night due to the severity of his injuries.
Alex Kleytman
Ukrainian-Australian Alex Kleytman was killed after attending the beachfront with his wife, Larisa, to celebrate Chanukah.
The grandfather was killed while trying to shield his wife during the Bondi Beach attack.
The couple, married for 50 years, had travelled from Matraville to attend Hanukkah celebrations.
“I think he was shot because he raised himself up to protect me, in the back of the head,” Mrs Kleytman told Daily Mail Australia.
Originally from Ukraine, the couple are parents to two children and grandparents to 11 grandchildren.
Dan Elkayam
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has confirmed French national Dan Elkayam is also among the dead, vowing France would “spare no effort to root out antisemitism.”
Mr Elkayam was a popular and talented member of the Rockdale Ilinden Football Club, whose members are gathering together tonight to commemmorate his loss.
Rabbi Eli Schlanger
Religious leaders have also confirmed Rabbi Eli Schlanger from Chabad of Bondi was killed during the Hanukkah event.
Tributes are flowing worldwide for Rabbi Schlanger, a new father, who served at Chabad House in Sydney.
Reuven Morrison
Grandfather Reuven Morrison is understood to have been rushed to hospital where he died overnight.
The former longtime Melbourne resident has been identified as one of at least 15 killed during the massacre in Sydney on Sunday.
Prominent Melbourne Rabbi Gabi Kaltmann said he had lost both Rabbi Schlanger, a friend, and Mr Morrison, who was his best friend’s father-in-law.
“I am heartbroken that Reuven Morrsion, the most incredibly generous, beautiful father and grandfather has now passed,” he said.
Rabbi Yaakov Levitan
Rabbi Yaakov Levitan has been identified as one of the victims killed in the horrific attack.
He served as secretary of the Sydney Beth Din and worked at the BINA Center, according to Chabad.
A local Chabad news site reported that Rabbi Levitan was also involved in distributing tefillin to those committed to performing the Jewish rite.
Condemning the attack, Shas chairman Aryeh Deri said he was “deeply shaken to my core” by the violence against Jews in Sydney.
Tributes continue to flow as authorities work to formally identify all victims.
Originally published as Bondi terror attack: Victims begin to be identified as death toll climbs to 16
