The bystander who grabbed the gun from one of the attackers in the Bondi Beach shooting has been identified as Ahmed Al-Ahmed, whose parents were refugees who had just arrived from Syria, Australian officials and media said.
Mr Ahmed, 43, a father of two girls, risked his life by tackling the alleged gunman and seizing his gun during Sunday’s attack, prompting a flood of donations from the public to support him and his family.
He was then shot dead by one of the two gunmen. The father-son duo targeted Jewish congregations and beachgoers on a beach rampage, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens more.
Dramatic footage of the crash, which has been viewed millions of times on social media, showed Ahmed crouching behind the car, throwing himself away from the gunman who had just fired a gun. Sirens wailed and gunshots rang out as the two men grappled for several seconds before Ahmed wrested the gun from the attacker’s hands.
Mr. Ahmed then pointed his weapon at the attacker, but the attacker retreated.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese posted a photo on X of him shaking hands with father-of-two Ahmed, who was lying in a hospital bed with his left arm heavily bandaged.
“Ahmed, you are an Australian hero,” Ms Albanese wrote.
“Putting yourself at risk to save others, running into danger on Bondi Beach and disarming terrorists. In the worst of times, we see Australians at their best, and that’s exactly what we saw on Sunday night.”
Thousands of people have so far donated more than A$1.4 million (approximately $930,000) to a GoFundMe page set up to support Ahmed “throughout his recovery” and “pay tribute to this absolute hero,” according to the crowdfunding platform.
GoFundMe confirmed to CNN on Monday that it is “working directly with fundraiser organizers to ensure the funds raised reach Mr. Ahmed and his family safely.”
On Monday, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns also posted a photo of Mr Ahmed recovering from his injuries in hospital. “Ahmed is a real-life hero. His incredible courage undoubtedly saved countless lives when he disarmed a terrorist at great risk last night,” Minns wrote on Facebook.
“It was a privilege to now spend time with him and say thank you to people across New South Wales. Without Ahmed’s selfless courage, there is no doubt that many more lives would have been lost. Thank you, Ahmed.”
Ahmed’s parents said he was shot several times in the shoulder and some of the bullets were still lodged inside him, state broadcaster Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported.
The couple told the ABC their son arrived in Australia in 2006 but had only moved to Sydney from Syria a few months earlier. It is unclear whether the Ahmed family is Syrian or another nationality.
They added that Ahmed has two daughters, ages 3 and 6, and would have done anything to protect anyone.
“When he did it, he didn’t think about the context of the people he was trying to save, the people who were dying on the streets,” Ahmed’s father said. “He doesn’t differentiate between nationality and nationality. Especially here in Australia, there’s no difference between nationality and nationality.”
Outside St George’s Hospital, Ahmed’s cousin Mustafa told 7News he was feeling fine but had not yet undergone surgery.
“Without a doubt he is a hero. Without a doubt, because he could probably die to save other people,” Mustafa told 7News.
