In a courageous act, a local shop worker successfully intervened against one of the alleged gunmen at Bondi Beach, earning him the title of a hero as the community continues to grapple with the tragic events during the Jewish community’s Hanukkah celebrations.
Ahmed al Ahmed, an Australian citizen originally from Syria, was having coffee with his cousin when gunfire erupted in the Sydney suburb just before 7pm on Sunday, December 14. This marked the beginning of an attack that resulted in at least 15 deaths and numerous injuries.
Video footage captures the 43-year-old father taking cover behind a vehicle while a gunman fired at people celebrating the Jewish festival. His cousin, Jozay Alkanj, shared with the Sydney Morning Herald that Ahmed could not stand by as people were harmed and decided to act.
While outside the hospital where Ahmed was receiving treatment, Alkanj recounted Ahmed’s resolve, 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.”
Determined, Ahmed navigated behind vehicles on Campbell Parade, waiting for a gunman to reload. Footage shows him confronting and disarming the attacker, turning the rifle back on him. The other attacker then shot Ahmed multiple times.
Another cousin, Mustafa al-Asaad, spoke to Arabic media after visiting Ahmed in the hospital, where he is undergoing several surgeries. Al-Asaad relayed Ahmed’s thoughts: “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 regret, attributing his courage to divine strength.
In the middle of the Bondi Beach terror attack in Australia, one man didn’t freeze.
He stayed calm, trusted his instincts, and disarmed the attacker himself.
That’s courage.
That’s presence of mind.
pic.twitter.com/jKWqjV2CMF— Sumit Kapoor (@moneygurusumit) December 15, 2025
With global leaders and Prime Minister Albanese commending Ahmed’s bravery, his parents reflected on his courage and background. 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 sustained up to six gunshot wounds.
His mother shared, “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 campaign for Ahmed has quickly amassed 1.1 million Australian dollars ($744,000) following the incident.