Wife Remembers Hero Husband Who Died Saving Her Life During Hanukkah Shooting: 'He Raised Himself Up to Protect Me' By Escher Walcott 29

A wife is remembering her hero husband, who died protecting her from gunmen during a mass shooting that took place amid a Hanukkah celebration at Australia’s Bondi Beach.

Alex Kleytman was tragically shot to death as he shielded his wife, Larisa Kleytman, from gunshots as suspects opened fire on Sunday, Dec. 14, the Daily Mail reported. He was a Holocaust survivor, per The Australian.

“I think he was shot because he raised himself up to protect me,” Larisa, who was married to her husband for five decades, told the outlet.

The couple had visited Bondi Beach to celebrate Hanukkah when the shooting took place, according to the Daily Mail.

Larisa and her late husband came to Australia from Ukraine and shared two children and 11 grandchildren, per the outlet.

Two individuals opened fire at large crowds of families gathered at Sydney’s Bondi Beach at around 6:47 p.m. local time on Dec. 14, the New South Wales Police announced in a press release.

The shooting took place during the beach festival, Chanukah by the Sea, per News.com.au.

At least 12 people were killed in the shooting, and 29 others were injured, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said at a press conference. He declared the incident a terrorist attack on the Jewish community in Sydney.

One of the shooters was killed at the scene, and a second shooter is in custody, Minns said. A possible third gunman is also being investigated, New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said at the press conference.

One of the shooters has been identified as 24-year-old Naveed Akram, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported. 

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Recalling the tragedy, eyewitness Tim Hamilton told the Daily Mail, “These men pulled over their car, put a black flag with an emblem on the windshiel,d then walked over the footbridge and started firing.”

“I stood up and looked over, and then I just saw people on the beach running really fast away from that area, like the Bondi Pavilion, but the north side of it,” Hamilton continued.

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“When we were walking home, we saw this guy who was up at Speedo Cafe, which is kind of near the North Bondi grass, and he was on the pavement bleeding,” he further recalled.

Added Hamilton: “That was quite far away from where the shooters were. So I think one of the bullets must have travelled quite far.”