The family of Ahmed al-Ahmed, the man who tackled and disarmed an alleged shooter at Bondi Beach, have revealed he acted out of conscience and could not bear to see people dying. The 44-year-old father of two remains in critical but stable condition at St George Hospital in Sydney after being shot multiple times.
Ahmed’s cousin, Mustafa al-Asaad, told Al Araby television that his intervention was a humanitarian act. “When he saw people dying and their families being shot, he couldn’t bear to see people dying,” he said. “It was a matter of conscience … He’s very proud that he saved even one life.”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised Ahmed at a press conference, saying he “took the gun off that perpetrator at great risk to himself”. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns visited Ahmed in hospital and called him a “real-life hero” whose bravery “no doubt saved countless lives”.
Ahmed’s parents, Mohamed Fateh al-Ahmed and Malakeh Hasan al-Ahmed, told ABC their son was shot four to five times in the shoulder. His father said Ahmed “doesn’t discriminate between one nationality and another” and would have done anything to protect anyone. A GoFundMe page for Ahmed has raised over $A1.3m in less than 24 hours.
