Additional Coverage:
- Terrifying moment hero shopkeeper takes down Bondi Beach gunman during terror attack (themirror.com)
Local Hero Disarms Gunman in Bondi Beach Terror Attack
A local store owner is being hailed as a hero after courageously disarming a gunman during a terror attack in Bondi Beach, Australia, on Sunday. Ahmed al Ahmed, 43, a Sydney resident and father of two who operates a fruit store in Sutherland, is believed to be the individual captured in social media footage confronting one of the two suspected shooters.
The horrific anti-Semitic attack, which coincided with a Hanukkah celebration, resulted in at least 11 fatalities and left 29 injured.
Video circulating on social media shows al Ahmed, dressed in a white shirt and black pants, discreetly moving behind a car before charging at one of the suspected shooters. The footage then depicts him placing the suspect in a headlock, wrestling for control, and ultimately seizing the weapon.
The suspect falls back, and al Ahmed raises the weapon, pointing it at him. Police sirens can be heard in the background as the tense scene unfolds. The suspect then slowly retreats, moving away from al Ahmed, who subsequently places the gun down and leans it against a tree.
According to his cousin, Mustafa, al Ahmed sustained two gunshot wounds during his brave intervention and is currently receiving medical treatment. Mustafa told 7News that al Ahmed, who reportedly has no firearms training, was simply passing by when he decided to intervene.
Outpouring of Support
Social media platforms have been flooded with messages of support for al Ahmed’s courageous actions. Many users have lauded him as a “modern hero” and suggested he be recognized with a medal of honor, such as the Cross of Valour, for his heroic deeds. Calls for lifetime pensions and full recovery wishes were also widely shared.
The Bondi Beach Terror Attack
The devastating Bondi Beach terror attack claimed the lives of at least 11 individuals and left 29 others, including children, injured. During a Sunday evening briefing, officials confirmed that among the wounded were a child with an arm injury, a 62-year-old woman with a gunshot wound to her leg, and a man who sustained a bullet graze to his head.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the attack as “an act of evil, antisemitism, terrorism that has struck the heart of our nation,” emphasizing that “an attack on Jewish Australians is an attack on every Australian.”
Authorities also confirmed the involvement of two suspects, one of whom is deceased and the other in critical condition in the hospital. Police successfully secured and removed explosive devices found in a nearby vehicle.