A Muslim shopkeeper has been hailed as a hero after bravely tackling and disarming one of the gunmen during the Bondi Beach shooting in Sydney.
The man, identified by relatives as 43-year-old Ahmed al Ahmed, was captured in dramatic footage running up behind an armed attacker and wresting a shotgun from his hands. In the video, Mr Ahmed can be seen pointing the weapon back at the gunman before placing it safely beside a tree as the attacker fled towards a nearby bridge, where another gunman was located.
Mr Ahmed, who was wearing a white T-shirt at the time, was shot twice during the incident and was later taken to hospital, where he was due to undergo surgery. His cousin, Mustafa, told Australian media that the family was anxiously awaiting news about his condition.
“He’s in hospital and we don’t know exactly what’s going on inside,” Mustafa said. “We do hope he will be fine. He’s a hero, 100%.”
Footage aired by 7News showed Mr Ahmed with a bloodied arm and hand as other bystanders rushed to help him near the scene.
The attack took place at around 6pm on Sunday evening, when two gunmen opened fire from a bridge onto crowds attending a Jewish event celebrating the festival of Hanukkah. More than 1,000 people had gathered, and the shooting left at least 11 people dead and 29 others injured. One of the gunmen was killed at the scene, while another was left in a critical condition.
One suspect has been named as 24-year-old Naveed Akram, whose driver’s licence lists his address as Bonnyrigg, a suburb of Sydney. The identity of the second suspected attacker has not been released.
According to his family, Mr Ahmed is a father of two and owns a fruit shop in the Sydney suburb of Sutherland. He had no experience with firearms and was simply walking past when he made the split-second decision to intervene.
Mustafa said his cousin acted on instinct. “He doesn’t know anything about guns. He just saw what was happening and stepped in.”
Images and videos of Mr Ahmed’s actions quickly spread across social media, with users praising his courage and saying his intervention may have saved many lives.
“This Australian man saved countless lives by stripping the gun off one of the terrorists at Bondi Beach. Hero,” one person wrote. Another described the moment as “an unbelievable act of bravery”.
The Premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns, said he was stunned by what he saw. “A man walking up to a gunman who had fired on the community and single-handedly disarming him, putting his own life at risk to save the lives of countless other people,” he said. “That man is a genuine hero.”
Australia’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, also praised Mr Ahmed and others who rushed towards danger to help. “These Australians are heroes, and their bravery has saved lives,” he told a news conference.
As Mr Ahmed recovers in hospital, many across Australia and beyond are recognising his actions as a powerful reminder that heroism can come from ordinary people, acting with extraordinary courage.
