Australian police officer near the tree, shortly before he takes out the terrorist. The distance is 130 feet, 43 yards. It appears closer because of the camera distance and angle.

More details are emerging from the chaos of the Jihadi terrorist attack on Bondi Beach. A video from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation gives some of the details. In 5 minutes and 52 seconds, 103 gunshots were fired. Time sense during life and death situations often stretches out because the mind speeds up. The phenomenon is called tachypsychia.

At about 1.5 minutes into the event, the older terrorist is disarmed. By 3.5 minutes, he is back at the footbridge, shooting back toward the area where he was disarmed. At 3.5 minutes, the terrorists are taking incoming fire and ducking for cover as rounds impact nearby.  At about 4 minutes, the police officer can be seen approaching the younger terrorist from behind, as discussed in the previous article.

A source from Australia, who has been very reliable, says he has seen a video, not released to the public, which shows the officer, who took cover behind the tree, is the officer who shot and disabled the younger terrorist. Recent updates show it is likely the same officer killed the older terrorist less than a minute earlier.  The source stated that he estimated the distance to be 40 meters, or approximately 130 feet.

With that information and Google Maps, this correspondent was able to estimate the direction of the officer from the footbridge and make a good guess as to which tree the officer was behind. The distance to the terrorist position was measured at 130 feet!

The Google Maps satellite view also showed the distance from the position of the older terrorist when he rearmed and started firing again, to where the disarmament occurred. It was 50 yards, or 150 feet.

The location of the disarm is distinguished by the palm tree and the picnic table. A 50-yard shot is a plausible distance for buckshot. After the older terrorist had rearmed, he was observed shooting in the direction of the disarmament at the palm tree. He takes careful aim with a red dot sight. It seems likely he was the one who wounded Ahmed Fatih Al Ahmed, the hero who had disarmed him a couple of minutes previously.

The person who threw a bottle at the older terrorist as he retreated and attempted to get the shotgun to work has been identified as Reuven Morrison, a Soviet born Jew, 62 years old. He was wounded as he attempted to bring the terrorist shotgun into play. He was wounded alongside Ahmed Fatih Al Ahmed. Reuven died at the hospital. It has been reported the shotgun had jammed during the disarm.

Ahmed Fatih Al Ahmed has been reliably identified as a Muslim immigrant from Syria. There are Maronite Christians from Lebanon in Sidney with a similar name. They have clarified a member of their family was not the person who did the disarm.

Forty-three yards is a respectable pistol shot, even from the supported barricade position the officer had at the tree. Not all defensive situations are at close range. Eli Dicken fired 10 shots from 40 yards at the mass murderer in the Greenwood Mall in Indianapolis on July 17, 2022. He hit the killer with eight of ten shots.  Vic Stacy fired his six-inch Colt Python from 56 yards to take down Charles Conner, who had killed two people and was firing at a Texas Deputy at the Peach House RV park near Early, Texas, on July 29, 2012. The Colt Python has a reputation for superb accuracy. Stacy believes he hit Conner four times, three after he fell down. Both Eli Dicken and Vic Stacy were recognized for their brave and effective actions.

Long-distance precision pistol shooting is not common in defensive situations. As the three incidents show, it happens. Typical Glock handguns are capable of shooting 2.5 inch groups at 25 yards, or 10 inch groups at a hundred yards. Most handgunners have a difficult time shooting that well. It can be done with a supported position. Such precise shooting is much easier with optical sights, such as the now common reflex or red dot sights. With a Veridian green dot sight on a KelTec PR57, this correspondent was able to keep five shots inside 9.5 inches, centered, on a 100 yard target from a hasty rest.  Shots were fired at about three-second intervals.

Dedicated target pistols are capable of 1-inch groups at 25 yards. Most people do not carry target-grade handguns as everyday carry. A close friend who has participated in numerous pistol competitions and Camp Perry rifle events has told me he can engage man-sized targets at 200 yards with a target-grade Glock 10mm and red dot sight. He says hits are not difficult with the red dot, as the necessary hold over does not obscure the target.  This correspondent has not discovered any documented defensive situations where a pistol was used at over 125 yards.

About Dean Weingarten:

Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.