Youngest Bondi Beach Shooting Victim Mourned as Texas Rabbi Recovers After Helping

Sydney residents gathered on Thursday to mourn Matilda, the 10-year-old girl who was the youngest victim of the Bondi Beach terrorist attack that targeted a Hanukkah celebration. Matilda has become a symbol of national grief following the deaths of 15 people at the hands of two gunmen.

Among the dozens wounded in the attack was Rabbi Leibel Lazaroff, a 20-year-old from Texas. CBS News reported that Lazaroff, who volunteered at the Hanukkah event, was recovering from gunshot wounds to his stomach and thighs while holding a menorah in his hospital bed. The shooting occurred as the first day of Hanukkah was being observed.

Lazaroff's parents, Rabbi Yossi and Manya Lazaroff, who lead the Chabad Jewish Center at Texas A&M University, were asleep at their home in Texas when they were notified of the attack. Manya Lazaroff told CBS News that they received word in the middle of the night that there had been a terrorist attack and that their son had been shot. They did not initially know if he was alive or his condition.

Several hours passed before they learned that Leibel was alive but had been shot multiple times. His parents immediately sought a way to travel to Sydney. After a long flight, they arrived at their son's bedside in a Sydney hospital, where he recounted the events.

Leibel told his parents that he heard a police officer yelling about being shot after the gunfire began. He rushed to the officer, removed his shirt to use as a tourniquet, and, drawing on his gun training, asked the officer for their firearm to return fire at the gunmen. It was while he was doing this that Leibel was shot, his father told CBS News.

His mother said she wasn't surprised by her son's actions, describing him as brave, strong, feisty, quick-thinking, and a "firecracker."

Leibel was in Sydney for an internship with Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who was laid to rest on Wednesday. Rabbi Schlanger's funeral was the first for the 15 victims of the attack. Leibel's father told CBS News that his son witnessed Rabbi Schlanger being shot and expressed regret that he couldn't have done more, as Rabbi Schlanger was his mentor.

Four days after the attack, Lazaroff was battling an infection after undergoing two surgeries. His parents are aware that he faces a challenging recovery. His mother stated that he is still in critical condition and faces additional surgeries.

Rabbi Lazaroff's parents also called for leaders worldwide to recognize the Bondi Beach attack as a "wakeup call."