Who is Ahmed Al Ahmed, the brave hero who tackled Bondi shooter?

The 43-year-old father of two from Syria can be seen wrestling attacker in viral video

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.

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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.

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

Ahmed al Ahmed, 43, was declared a hero after wrestling a gun off one of the suspects. Photo: Instagram

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

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 said he “was in good spirits,' and that he “thanks God that he was able to save people”.

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,” Mr Trump said. “[He] saved a lot of lives… I have great respect for the man who did that."

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.”