Ahmed al-Ahmed, a 44-year-old father of two and former police officer, has been hailed as a hero after he tackled and disarmed an alleged shooter at Bondi Beach on Sunday. He remains in critical but stable condition at St George Hospital in Sydney, having undergone surgery for multiple gunshot wounds to his shoulder.
His cousin Mustafa al-Asaad told Al Araby television that Ahmed intervened as a 'humanitarian act'. 'When he saw people dying and their families being shot, he couldn’t bear to see people dying,' he said. His father, Mohamed Fateh al-Ahmed, said his son 'doesn’t discriminate between one nationality and another' and would have done anything to save lives.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese singled out Ahmed at a press conference, paying tribute to his actions as an example of 'Australians coming together'. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns visited Ahmed in hospital and praised his 'incredible bravery', stating that 'more lives would have been lost if not for his selfless courage'.
At least 16 people were killed in the mass shooting during a Hanukah celebration. Extraordinary footage shows Ahmed rushing towards one of the shooters, leaping on him and wrestling the gun from his hands. Ahmed’s parents, who arrived from Syria just months ago, said he had been having coffee with a friend when he heard shots.
A GoFundMe page set up for Ahmed has raised over A$1.3 million in less than 24 hours. Lubaba Alhmidi AlKahil, media director for the Australians for Syria Association, said the community was 'very proud' of him. Ahmed, an Australian citizen originally from Idlib, Syria, has two more surgeries ahead.
