Who Was Matilda Bee Britvan, The 10-Year-Old Youngest Victim Of The Bondi Beach Shooting

Matilda Bee Britvan was just 10 years old when her life was tragically taken during the Bondi Beach shooting rampage in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday, 14 December 2025. She was the youngest victim of the mass shooting carried out by father-son duo, 24-year-old Naveed Akram and his 50-year-old father, Sajid Akram, who opened fire on Jewish worshippers gathered to celebrate Hannukah.

Here is everything about Matilda, and how those close to her remembered the child whose light touched so many.

Who Was Matilda Bee Britvan

Matilda, affectionately known as Matilda-Bee to her loved ones, had just celebrated her 10th birthday last month.

Her grandparents wrote in a Facebook post: 'Stay so cheerful, kind, and delight us with your successes. We love you very much. Big kisses and hugs from grandma and grandpa.'

A photograph shared with the birthday message showed the little girl beaming as she held a bouquet of flowers, her grandparents describing her as their 'beloved' granddaughter.

Matilda's family originally came from Odessa, Ukraine, but had lived in Australia for more than a decade. They are Jewish and were at Bondi to attend Chanukah by the Sea, an event they had attended in previous years.

She was a former student at Harmony Russian School of Sydney in Bellevue Hill. Her language teacher, Irina Goodhew, who launched a GoFundMe in her memory, described Matilda as 'a bright, joyful, and spirited child who brought light to everyone around her.'

On the fundraising site, Goodhew wrote, 'Yesterday, while celebrating Hanukkah, her young life was tragically taken. Her memory will live on in our hearts.' She also confirmed that Matilda's mother, Valentina Poltavchenko, is the beneficiary of the fundraiser.

Goodhew continued, 'Matilda was a bright and loving soul who taught us that true goodness is in the love and compassion we share. Her memory reminds us to carry kindness in our hearts and spread it to the world.'

Family's Heartbreak

Matilda's family has spoken to 9News about the tragedy. Her aunt, Lina Chernykh, said that the family is heartbroken and will never recover from their loss.

'I can't imagine how we're going to get through this,' she added, 'We will always feel the loss. I don't think we will be ever happy.'

She described the 10-year-old as 'a happy kid' and said, 'She was open-hearted. Everywhere she goes, she was like a sun.'

On the day of the horrifying shooting rampage, Matilda, along with her 6-year-old sister, Summer, was enjoying the celebrations when gunshots rang out. Tragically, Matilda was fatally shot in front of her sister.

Chernykh said she felt confused and was 'sorry for them' — for the shooters at Bondi Beach — as they had the opportunity to live happily in the community but made a different choice.

Community Mourns the Victims

A memorial site has been set up behind the Bondi Pavilion, where dozens of mourners gathered on Monday evening to pay their respects. At the centre of the crowd was a large circular display of floral tributes, as many attendees wept openly and leaned on one another for comfort.

Meanwhile, fundraising for Matilda has reached around £414,000 ($553,169), far surpassing the original target of £21,000 ($28,000).