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Ahmed al Ahmed, the Bondi hero: the civilian who disarmed one of the shooters in Sydney massacre

The 43 year old fruit vendor was not wearing a uniform or carrying a gun. He was having coffee with a friend when he heard the shots. He decided not to run, he decided to act.

A civilian disarmed one of the Bondi Beach shooters.

A civilian disarmed one of the Bondi Beach shooters.Screenshot/ 7 News Australia.

Diane Hernández
Published by
Diane Hernández

Amid the chaos, gunfire and terror unleashed during the terrorist attack on Bondi Beach Hanukkah celebration, one man did the unthinkable: he ran toward the shooter. His name is Ahmed al Ahmed, a 43 year old fruit vendor and father of two girls, who disarmed one of the attackers and became the face of civilian courage after an attack that left at least 15 dead and more than 40 injured on Australia's most popular beach.

The incident occurred Sunday afternoon during the "Hanukkah by the Sea" event, which was attended by more than 1,000 people. Two gunmen, Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed Akram, 24, opened fire on the crowd in what authorities described as a terrorist attack targeting the Jewish community.

The moment that changed the scene

The images, verified by BBC, ABC News Australia and reported by international media outlets, show Ahmed al Ahmed emerging from behind a car, advancing through the gunfire and tackling one of the attackers, who was crouched near a palm tree, from behind. Within seconds, he knocked him down, struggled with him and snatched a long-barreled gun from him.

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The assailant backed away. Ahmed, now in possession of the gun, aimed it at him without firing, maintaining a defensive position until the attacker fled. He then lowered the weapon, leaned it against a tree and raised his hands, making it clear to the police that he was not a threat. Another civilian briefly jumped in to help, while the second shooter continued firing from a nearby bridge.

"The man is a hero," summarized headlines around the world following the broadcast of the video, which surpassed 22 million views on social networks.

Injured, operated on and under medical surveillance.

The heroism came at a cost. During the struggle, Ahmed was shot four to five times in the shoulder, arm and hand, according to his parents told ABC News. Several bullets were lodged in the body and some impacted near the bone. He underwent emergency surgery and remains hospitalized, awaiting two to three more surgeries, according to his family and Seven News Australia.

Ahmed is recovering from his first round of operations at St George's Hospital in Kogarah.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns visited the Bondi hero this and praised his incredible bravery during the terrorist attack.

"Ahmed is a real-life hero," Mins wrote on Instagram.

"He saw that people were dying"

His parents, Mohamed Fateh Al Ahmed and Malakeh Hasan Al Ahmed, spoke publicly from the hospital gates. They arrived in Australia from Syria just a few months ago and had not seen their son for years. "He saw people were dying," his mother recounted. "When the shooter ran out of ammunition, Ahmed lunged and grabbed the gun away from him. He was hit, but he saved lives."

The father was blunt: his son did not think about religions, nationalities or origins. "He doesn't discriminate. Here in Australia there are no differences. I would have done the same for anyone."

Ahmed al Ahmed was not wearing a uniform or carrying a gun. He was having coffee with a friend when he heard the gunshots. He decided not to run away, he decided to act.

Today, as Sydney mourns the victims and leaves flowers on Bondi Beach, his name was tied to a simple and powerful truth: at the worst moment, an ordinary civilian chose courage.

Official recognition and global support

Australian authorities publicly praised his intervention. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the country saw "Australians running into danger to help others," and stressed that such bravery saved lives.

The repercussions crossed borders. In the United States, President Donald Trump mentioned Ahmed in a speech at the White House, "He saved a lot of lives. He is a very brave person." Several people have pitched in with donations for his recovery, according to media outlet ABC News Australia.

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The attack and the investigation

The attack left victims aged between 10 and 87. Sajid Akram was shot dead by police after an exchange of gunfire; Naveed Akram remains hospitalized in custody. Authorities are investigating links to Islamist extremism and confirmed the discovery of improvised explosive devices in a vehicle associated with the suspects. "Operation Refuge" was deployed, with hundreds of agents protecting places of worship.

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