Hero cop hailed, youngest Bondi shooting victim laid to rest

(CNN) — Mourners on Thursday laid to rest the youngest victim of the Bondi Beach attack in Sydney: 10-year-old Matilda, who had been enjoying the Hanukkah festivities with her family when the gunmen opened fire.

People at the funeral service in Sydney held bouquets of flowers, framed photos of Matilda, dolls and stuffed animals, as shown in videos of the ceremony, which was attended by several political figures, according to national broadcaster the ABC.

The young girl’s death has touched many in the grieving community. One woman who visited a makeshift memorial on Wednesday said she had crocheted 15 butterflies to represent each of the deceased. “The one in the middle is a brightly colored blue one and that’s for Matilda,” she told Chinese state-owned broadcaster CGTN.

Matilda had been attending the Hanukkah celebration with her parents, younger sister and friends on Sunday when she was wounded in the shooting. She was then rushed to hospital, where doctors fought unsuccessfully to save her.

At a memorial event on Wednesday, Matilda’s parents reflected on their daughter’s final moments. “Like she’s running around happy and then…what I see before my eyes is she’s lying on the ground,” her mother, Valentyna, said through tears.

The family had moved from Ukraine to Australia in the 1990s, and enjoyed walks on the beach, picnics in the park and walks to the zoo, said Matilda’s aunt Lina, who did not wish to share the family’s surname.

Tearful and out of breath, Valentyna said that after leaving Ukraine, she “could not imagine I would lose my daughter here.”

Hero officer named

A police officer hailed as a hero for shooting dead one of the attackers responsible for the Bondi Beach massacre has been identified by Australian media as Detective Senior Constable Cesar Barraza.

Barraza is believed to have shot dead Sajid Akram, 50, according to the Sydney Morning Herald and CNN affiliates 9News and 7News.

In video of Sunday’s attack, a man believed to be Barraza, wearing a shirt and tie, can be seen firing at the gunmen from about 48 meters (157 feet) away as the pair used long-arm guns to indiscriminately fire on dozens of families celebrating Hanukkah. Barraza can be seen using a tree for cover as he fired on the two shooters as they carried out their attack from the footbridge.

Police said Wednesday they were unable to confirm the identity of the officer who shot the attackers as they were awaiting ballistic examination before confirming who actually fired the shot.

“I am incredibly proud of the officer who has been identified, as I am of every police officer who was there on that day,” Police commissioner for New South Wales Mal Lanyon said. “The bravery they went through, to approach and resolve that situation, is incredible.”

Barraza, a Bondi-based officer who has reportedly been on the force for at least 15 years, appeared on an Australian reality TV show called Recruits in 2009, a documentary series that followed the daily life of police recruits training to becoming officers.

“My name is Cess Barraza, I’m 26, and I want to be a police officer because I hate crime,” Barraza said on the show.

Meanwhile, Ahmed al Ahmed, the bystander who wrestled a gun from one of the alleged attackers before being shot, was presented with a check for more than $2.5 million Australian dollars ($1.65 million) in donations as he continued to recover from his injuries in hospital, according to a social media video posted by one of the crowdfunding organizers.

A GoFundMe page was set up for people to donate to Ahmed, to “show our gratitude and support for someone who has demonstrated incredible courage,” the page reads.

The Instagram video posted on Thursday by Zachery Dereniowski showed Ahmed receiving the money as he lay in his hospital bed. It was not immediately clear when the check was presented to him. Asked to give a message to those who had supported him, Ahmed urged people to “stand with each other, all human beings… And keep going to save lives.”

Ahmed, a 43-year-old father to two girls, questioned if he deserved the money and said his quick actions to save lives came “from the heart.”

He added, “It was a nice day, everyone enjoying, celebrating, with their kids… And they deserve to enjoy and it’s their right.”

Ahmed, who was shot several times in the shoulder, is preparing to undergo a third, eight-hour surgery on Friday, according to ABC.

Crackdown on hate speech

As the nation mourns the victims of Australia’s worst mass shooting in almost three decades, authorities have vowed to take tougher action on both gun control and antisemitism.

Speaking on Thursday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced there would be legislative reforms cracking down on people who spread “hate, division and radicalization.”

That includes greater penalties for hate speech, and for preachers and leaders who promote violence. Hate speech will be an “aggravating factor” in sentencing for crimes involving online threats and harassment, and Australia will develop a system to list organizations whose leaders engage in hate speech or promote violence or racial hatred, he said.

Australia’s home affairs minister will also have new powers to cancel or reject the visas of people who spread hate and division, or who would do so if allowed to enter the country.

Albanese also announced a task force that will work for 12 months to ensure the Australian education system “prevents, tackles and responds to antisemitism.”

“There is no place in Australia for antisemitism,” Albanese said. “Australians are shocked and angry – I am angry.”

The Australian Federal Police are also looking into alleged hate preachers as part of their investigation and will execute further search warrants in the coming days, police commissioner Krissy Barrett said on Thursday.

Reflecting on her recent trip to Sydney, the commissioner paid tribute to the victims – and the youngest of them all.

“Every day we see the beautiful and joyful faces now lost, and in them we see our own loved ones,” Barrett said. “Today is the funeral of little Matilda. She was so young, she was so innocent, and my heart is so heavy for her family.”

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