Scottish man heard gunshots and helped 'stampede' escape Bondi Beach attack

A Scottish man living in Sydney helped a “stampede” of people run for safety after hearing gushots during a terrorist attack on Bondi Beach.

Two gunmen killed 15 people, including a ten-year-old girl and a British-born rabbi, in an attack in Sydney on Sunday.

Australian police said a 50-year-old man and his 24-year-old son were behind the attack, which also left 42 people injured.

The gunmen have been identified as Sajid and Naveed Akram respectively.

The shooting has been declared a terrorist incident targeting a celebration on the first day of Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights.

Kian Bentley was working at a nearby open-air cinema at the time of the attack. He said people “stampeded” out of the venue after hearing gunshots.

The 22-year-old, from Stirling, opened a gate at the back of the cinema to allow people to run for safety at a nearby police station.

He moved to Sydney to pursue a music career, and said he was in touch with friends while he worked.

He said around 7pm local time, there was panic after screams and gunshots were heard in the distance.

Two gunmen, armed with what police described as “long guns”, opened fire on more than 1,000 people in the Archer Park area.

Local residents and emergency services helped the injured as people fled the scene.

Two officers from New South Wales (NSW) Police Force, a constable and probationary constable, suffered gunshot wounds while exchanging fire with the gunmen.

Sajid Akram was shot dead by police at the scene and Naveed Akram was taken to hospital with critical injuries.

According to NSW police commissioner Mal Lanyon, the younger gunman will likely face criminal charges “based on his medical condition”, suggesting he will survive.

First Minister John Swinney sent his “sympathy and solidarity” to the victims, and said the Scottish Government is engaging with police to ensure the safety of Jewish people in Scotland.

Over the weekend, Police Scotland increased patrols at Jewish events and synagogues.

Leaders of Scotland’s Jewish community said they fear being victims of a similar attack.

Sammy Stein, chair of Glasgow’s Friends of Israel group, said local Jewish communities are “very, very afraid”.

He told STV News: “Whenever there is a festival where Jewish people get together, whether it’s in a synagogue, whether it’s in a hall, or whether it’s in this case on a beach, there is an attraction for people to come and do them harm, and that’s what happened yesterday.

“Over the next few months, there’s going to be quite a number of Jewish holidays, and my fear is that this could happen again.”

He added: “I’m very concerned because we don’t know who is hiding out there planning to do something like this. It’s not just for other places – it’s for us to worry about too.”