Ukrainian Holocaust survivor killed in Sydney Hanukkah shooting
Alex Kleytman, a Holocaust survivor, was one of the 15 people killed in a shooting in Sydney, Australia, on Bondi Beach during Hanukkah celebrations.
It was reported by NBC News.
The victim's wife, Larisa Kleytman, also survived the Holocaust. She confirmed his death to The Australian newspaper, saying she heard a loud "crash" and then saw him fall to the ground.
"He came on Bondi Beach to celebrate Hanukkah, for us it was always a very, very good celebration, for many, many years," Larisa Kleytman told the outlet.
Alex Kleytman survived the Holocaust with his mother and younger brother in Siberia. Later, he and his wife emigrated to Australia from Ukraine, and they were married for almost 60 years.
Larisa Kleytman said she's looking for answers after the attack.
"His body is still there and I am sitting there and don’t know what I have to do," she said.
Larisa Kleytman told the Daily Mail: "I think he was shot because he raised himself up to protect me, in the back of the head."
She also noted that she and her husband came to Australia from Ukraine, have two children and 11 grandchildren.
Witnesses said the two men got out of the car on the street near Sydney's famous Bondi Beach and around 6:40 p.m. on Sunday, December 14, opened fire, and video footage shows shots being fired in succession on the tourist street. Some witnesses reported more than 30 shots fired.
According to NBC News, the shooting took place on Bondi Beach during a celebration of the first day of Hanukkah, killing at least 15 people aged 10 to 87. Officials declared the shooting a terrorist attack and said it was "directed against" the Jewish people.
According to New South Wales police, the 50-year-old suspect was licensed to own a firearm.