Hero who tackled and disarmed Bondi Beach gunman is fruit shop owner

A bystander has been hailed a hero after he tackled and disarmed one of the gunmen in the Bondi Beach shooting.

The man, named by a relative as Ahmed al Ahmed, was seen in a video running up to the attacker from behind and then grabbing the shotgun from his hands before pointing the weapon back at him.

The footage then showed the terrorist heading towards a bridge where another gunman was located, while the bystander placed the gun beside a tree.

Ahmed, who owns a fruit shop, was on his way to “have coffee” when he tackled the gunman.

His father, Mohamed Fateh al Ahmed, said: “His friend told him, let’s go have coffee at Bondi.

“They got there and were shocked to see armed men firing their weapons and terrorists.

“I feel pride and honour because my son is a hero of Australia.”

His family said Ahmed, who has served with the police, noticed a gunman hiding behind a tree and managed to tackle and disarm him when he ran out of ammunition.

While the gunman escaped, the second attacker, who was on a bridge, shot Ahmed and hit him in the shoulder.

Ahmed, who was wearing a white T-shirt, was shot twice in the incident and is recovering in the hospital after surgery for bullet wounds, according to his cousin.

His family said the father of two had suffered bullet wounds to his arm and hand and may need “two or three surgeries”.

The Premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns, visited Ahmed in hospital and posted a picture of the 43-year-old, calling him “a real-life hero” who saved “countless lives”.

In a video on 7News, Ahmed appeared to have a bloodied arm and hand and was helped by other people near the scene in the Australian city.

At least 16 people were killed, including one of the gunmen, and 40 others were injured in the attack.

Two gunmen opened fire from a bridge on crowds at a Jewish event around 6 pm local time on Sunday evening.

More than 1,000 people had been at the gathering, which was celebrating the festival of Hanukkah.

A gunman was killed, and another was in a critical condition following the shooting.

One of the suspects was 24-year-old Naveed Akram.

His driver’s licence says he lives in Bonnyrigg, a suburb of Sydney. The identity of the other suspected attacker is not known.

One of Ahmed’s cousins, identified by local media as Mustafa, said the hero, who owns a fruit shop in the Sydney suburb of Sutherland, did not have any experience with guns and was just walking past when he decided to step in.

He told 7News: “He’s in hospital and we don’t know exactly what’s going on inside.

Play Video – Gunmen filmed during Bondi attackOne of the gunmen has been named as 24-year-old Naveed Akram.

The footage of Ahmed’s actions spread quickly on social media as people praised the man for his bravery, saying his actions had potentially saved many lives.

“This Australian man saved countless lives by stripping the gun off one of the terrorists at Bondi Beach. HERO,” one person said on X.

State Premier Minns said it was the “most unbelievable scene I’ve ever seen”.

“A man walking up to a gunman who had fired on the community and single-handedly disarming him, putting his own life at risk to save the lives of countless other people,” he said.

“That man is a genuine hero, and I’ve got no doubt that there are many, many people alive tonight as a result of his bravery.”

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised the actions of Australians who had “run towards danger in order to help others”.

“These Australians are heroes, and their bravery has saved lives,” he told a news conference.