The Bondi Beach hero who tackled one of the gunmen during Sunday’s deadly terror attack has shared a deeply emotional explanation for why he put his own life on the line.
Ahmed al-Ahmed, a 43-year-old father of two and Sydney fruit and vegetable shop owner, has been widely praised after video footage showed him sneaking up behind an armed attacker and wrestling the weapon away as chaos unfolded along the beachfront.
The attack, which took place on Sunday, December 14, left 15 people dead, including a 10-year-old girl and a British-born rabbi, with a further 42 people injured. Australian authorities later confirmed the shooting was a terrorist incident aimed at Sydney’s Jewish community during celebrations marking the first day of Hanukkah.
42 people were injured in the shooting, with 15 people - including a 10-year-old girl and a holocaust survivor - confirmed to have died. Credit: Fairfax Media/Getty Images.
Police identified the alleged attackers as 50-year-old Sajid Akram and his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram. Sajid was shot dead by officers at the scene, while his son was taken to hospital in critical condition. New South Wales Police have since confirmed the younger suspect has regained consciousness and remains under police guard, according to The Guardian.
Ahmed had initially taken cover behind parked cars as gunfire erupted. However, when he saw people being shot at close range, he made the split-second decision to intervene. He suffered multiple bullet wounds to his shoulder and hand during the confrontation.
His father, Mohamed Fateh al-Ahmed, told ABC Australia that his son has always had a strong instinct to protect others, noting that Ahmed previously served with the police. Family members said he remains in hospital recovering from his injuries and is in “good spirits.”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has since met Ahmed and his family, calling him an “Australian hero.” In a statement, Albanese said: “I thanked him for the lives that he helped to save and I wished him all the very best with his surgery that he will undertake tomorrow.”
Now, Ahmed’s relatives have revealed what drove him to act so bravely in the face of such danger. Speaking to Al Araby television, his cousin Mustafa al-Asaad said Ahmed told him simply (via The Mirror): “God gave me strength.”
Mustafa explained: “When he saw people dying and their families being shot, he couldn’t bear it. It was a humanitarian act more than anything else. It was a matter of conscience. He’s very proud that he saved even one life.”
Credit: Anadolu/Getty Images.
He added that Ahmed told him: “I couldn’t bear this. God gave me strength. I believed I could stop this person killing people.”
Originally from the Syrian city of Idlib, Ahmed is now recovering in hospital after undergoing one successful surgery, with further treatment expected.
His father stressed that Ahmed did not consider the background or religion of those he was helping. “He doesn’t discriminate between one nationality and another,” he said. “Especially here in Australia, there’s no difference between one citizen and another.”
Ahmed’s mother, Malakeh Hasan al-Ahmed, echoed those sentiments, telling ABC: “He saw people dying, losing their lives. When the gunman ran out of ammo, he took it from him – but he was hit. We pray that God saves him.”
Ahmed’s actions have been hailed across Australia as an extraordinary act of courage in the face of unimaginable horror.