A bystander who tackled one of the suspected gunmen during a deadly attack at Australia's Bondi Beach on Sunday has been hailed as a hero.
In a video that has been widely shared on social media, Ahmed Al Ahmed, 43, can be seen wrestling one of the alleged attackers before disarming him – earning him praise for his bravery.
Mr Al Ahmed is of Syrian origin, arriving from Idlib to Australia in 2006. He is a fruit vendor and father of two daughters, according to media reports.
Fifteen people were killed in the shooting at a Hanukkah event in Sydney. Police suspect a father and son carried out the attack, adding that one of the suspects was killed while the other was injured.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed on Monday that Mr Al Ahmed was the bystander who intervened. “Ahmed Al Ahmed took the gun off that perpetrator at great risk to himself and suffered serious injury as a result of that,” Mr Albanese told reporters.
Mr Al Ahmed's parents told Australian media that their son sustained two gun wounds and was recovering from surgery at St George Hospital in Kogarah. His father, Mohamed Fateh Al Ahmed, said he “was in good spirits,' and that he “thanks God that he was able to save people”.
'I feel pride... my son is a hero of Australia'
Mr Al Ahmed's father described his son as a "hero of Australia" with an impulse to protect people.
Speaking to ABC Australia through a translator, Mohamed Al Ahmed said his son was visiting Bondi for a coffee and "were shocked to see armed men firing weapons".
"When he saw people laying on the ground, and the blood everywhere, immediately his conscience and his soul compelled him to pounce on one of the terrorists and to rid him of his weapon," he said.
"I feel pride and honour, because my son is a hero of Australia."
Malakeh Al Ahmed, the mother, said she is proud of her "do-gooder" son.
"I'm proud that my son was helping people. He saved lives, souls. God would not harm him because he was a do-gooder.
"He saw they were dying and people were losing their lives, and when that guy ran out of ammo, he took it from him, but he was hit."
Mr Al Ahmed's heroic action has earned him praise and recognition by officials and social media users alike. A fund-raiser set up for him raised $550,000 in 12 hours.
Chris Minns, Premier of New South Wales state, where Sydney is located, said the video of Mr Al Ahmed was the “most unbelievable scene I’ve ever seen”. He added: “That man is a genuine hero and I’ve got no doubt that there are many, many people alive tonight as a result of his braver.”
US President Donald Trump said: “In Australia, as you’ve probably read, there’s been a very, very brave person who went and attacked one of the shooters. [He] saved a lot of lives… I have great respect for the man who did that."
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Police work at the scene after a shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, where 15 people were killed and 40 others injured. AFP -
A police officer walks along cordon tape at the scene. The shooting took place at a gathering for the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. Getty Images -
Emergency services workers gather at the scene. AFP -
People cross a street after what police declared was a terrorist incident. AFP -
Health workers move a woman on to a stretcher. AFP -
Police first responders speak to members of the public at the scene of the shooting. Getty Images -
Emergency workers transport a person on a stretcher after the shooting. AP -
The two suspects, dressed in black, firing from a bridge. AFP -
Mourners gather by floral tributes to the victims, one of whom was a 10-year-old girl. AFP -
Bondi Beach hero. Bystander Ahmed al Ahmed, 43, was captured in footage wrestling a gun off one of the attackers. -
Police officers stand guard outside the house of a suspect. Reuters -
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he would consider toughening gun laws in response to the incident. Bloomberg -
Police and forensics staff begin the task of retrieving bodies from the scene. EPA -
Mourners carrying flowers walk along Bondi Beach. EPA -
Members of the forensic team carry out an investigation at the scene. Reuters -
Belongings left behind are lined up at a ramp near the scene of the shooting. Reuters
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani said Mr Al Ahmed was an example of courage against hate.
“On Bondi Beach today, as men with long guns targeted innocents, another man ran towards the gunfire and disarmed a shooter,” Mr Mamdani wrote. “Tonight, as Jewish New Yorkers light menorahs and usher in a first night of Hanukkah clouded by grief, let us look to his example and confront hatred with the urgency and action it demands.”
