The courageous actions of a local shop worker in confronting one of the alleged gunmen at Bondi Beach have earned him the title of hero, as the community continues to process the tragedy that occurred during the local Jewish community’s Hanukkah celebrations.
Ahmed al Ahmed, a Syrian-born Australian citizen, was out for coffee with his cousin when gunfire erupted in the seaside suburb of Sydney just before 7pm on Sunday, December 14. This marked the beginning of an attack that resulted in at least 15 fatalities and numerous injuries.
Heart-wrenching footage from the event captures the 43-year-old father seeking cover behind a car while a suspected gunman targets individuals gathered for the Jewish holy festival.
Insights into his thoughts moments before his heroic charge have surfaced. His cousin, Jozay Alkanj, recounted to the Sydney Morning Herald how Ahmed “couldn’t bear to see people dying” and decided to take action.
Outside the hospital, where his cousin was still receiving treatment, Alkanj recalled Ahmed’s determination, saying: “I’m going to die, please see my family and tell them that I went down to save people’s lives.”
Alkanj described the chaos: “It was very crazy, we went behind the cars, we were seeing that people were shooting very near to us.”
Bravely, Ahmed approached the gunman on Campbell Parade, waiting for him to reload. Video evidence shows him tackling the attacker and disarming him, then turning the weapon on the assailant.
While this gunman attempted to flee from Ahmed, the second attacker fired multiple shots at Ahmed.
Mustafa al-Asaad, another cousin present at the scene, spoke with Arabic media after visiting Ahmed in the hospital, where he is undergoing multiple surgeries.
Al-Asaad shared: “When he saw this scene, people dying of gunfire, he told me, ‘I couldn’t bear this. God gave me strength. I believe I’m going to stop this person killing people.”
Despite his injuries, Ahmed expressed no regrets about his intervention from his hospital bed, reportedly saying ‘God gave me courage’.
Prime Minister Albanese and other world leaders have lauded Ahmed’s heroism. His parents have expressed pride in their son, attributing his bravery to his background and previous service.
His father, Mohamed Fateh al-Ahmed, stated: “My son is a hero. He served in the police, he has the passion to defend people.”
They believe he was shot up to six times during the encounter.
His mother added: “He saw they were dying, and people were losing their lives, and when that guy [the shooter] ran out of ammo, he took it from him, but he was hit.”
A fundraising effort for Ahmed has accumulated 1.1 million Australian dollars ($744,000) in the day following the attack.