As we are about to celebrate Purim, let us not forget that our last holiday (Chanukah) began tragically. But perhaps we can turn this tragedy into a powerful lesson on stopping attackers and saving lives.

When the two terrorists began shooting at a crowd gathered to celebrate a recent holiday, complete pandemonium erupted. Amid cries and screams, people ran for cover, trying to shield their loved ones as best they could. Some even tried to throw objects at the attackers or plead with them to stop. Tragically, these attempts cost them their lives.

But suddenly, out of nowhere, something truly remarkable happened. An unarmed bystander, hiding between two cars only a few feet from one of the attackers, rushed him and wrestled him to the ground, taking his rifle away. That’s right: an unarmed person fighting someone armed with a high-powered rifle and neutralizing him. Quite amazing!

The one thing we all should learn from this recent terror attack, is that it is possible for an unarmed bystander to neutralize an armed attacker. When the bystander at Bondi did so, he saved tens, maybe hundreds, of lives.

Given the dramatic rise in global antisemitism, an attack like the Bondi terror attack may happen again in the future (G-d forbid). Therefore, we must learn from that tragedy how to stop attackers so we can save lives.

It is important to remember that even though armed attackers enjoy tactical advantages, they are quite vulnerable to counterattack. This has been demonstrated in similar attacks around the world, especially in Israel.

The greatest vulnerability for an armed attacker occurs when he is looking for targets through his sights. He immediately goes into “tunnel vision,” a physiological condition that causes him to lose peripheral vision and general awareness of his surroundings. This happens because the attacker is hyper-focused on the targets he is trying to engage.

Even soldiers from elite units must constantly train to maintain their situational awareness (SA) during multiple-target engagements. A soldier losing his SA even for a split second can easily be blindsided and shot by an enemy soldier to his side.

Armed attackers, who are generally not former elite soldiers, are therefore vulnerable on their sides and back while they are attacking. Nevertheless, for a counterattack to have any chance of succeeding, it must be executed with speed and decisiveness.

As can be seen from the footage of the recent attack, one of the terrorists had no idea that a bystander was crouching between cars only a few feet from him. At the right moment, the bystander rushed him, wrestled him down, and grabbed his weapon.

An armed attacker is also very vulnerable while he reloads or when his weapon jams. Reloading quickly and efficiently requires a great deal of training because when adrenaline is flowing, it is easy to miss a critical step in the reload process. In the recent attack, the bystander rushed the terrorist precisely when the terrorist was attempting to reload his weapon.

Given the vulnerabilities described above, I will go over immediate actions[1] that should be performed during a shooting attack:

Immediate Action 1: Hit the ground flat. A body flat on the floor is much harder to hit than one that is running, crouching, or standing. If you are very close to cover, run for it. Cover means an obstacle that can stop a bullet, such as a thick tree, a concrete wall, or a pillar.

Immediate Action 2: Get out of the “kill zone.” This is the zone where the shooter is concentrating most of his fire. Ideally, wait until there is a pause in the firing, which may indicate a reload or a weapon jam.

Immediate Action 3: Once you are out of the “kill zone,” attempt to maneuver toward the sides or behind the shooter. Maneuvering should be done, ideally, behind cover and while crouching or crawling. In the recent attack, the bystander used cars as cover.

Immediate Action 4: Prepare to counterattack. During a pause in the firing, move quickly and decisively to take down the shooter. An impact weapon such as a chair, stick, brick, or other heavy object may be useful. Make sure to throw the attacker’s weapon as far away as possible, and then continue striking until he is completely neutralized. Even once he is neutralized, do not take your eyes off him; wait for authorities and follow their instructions. This step should ideally be performed by a physically strong and courageous person. Courage under fire will be the topic of my next article.

In the meantime, I encourage all of you to attend training that teaches how to neutralize armed attackers.

“You shall erase the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!” (Devarim/ Deuteronomy 26:19)

G-d bless you all! Happy Purim!

COL (USA Ret.) Yonatan Zagdanski Co-Founder & Chief Strategic Officer, Citizen Defenders

The Citizen Defenders initiative trains volunteers in Israel and abroad to become first responders in case of terror attacks. For info, contact, or to get involved, visit https://citizen-defenders.org/main

[1] These actions are directly derived from of the US Army Infantry manual (Battle drill #1 – React to ambush). It is the drill that is practiced by all Infantry and Special Operations soldiers in the US Military until the drill becomes reflexive and even instinctive.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)