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What we know about Ahmed al-Ahmed, the Bondi Beach bystander who disarmed gunman
The family of Ahmed al-Ahmed, a Syrian Muslim father of two who tackled one of the alleged attackers during the mass shooting on Sunday at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, has spoken out, hailing their son as a “hero.”
Donations are also pouring in for the 43-year-old fruit shop owner a day after the deadly shooting at a Jewish holiday event, which killed at least 15 people and left 38 people in hospital.
Here is what we know about al-Ahmed and how people have reacted to his brave actions following the country’s worst mass shooting in almost 30 years.
What happened?
Two gunmen — a 50-year-old father and his 24-year-old son, according to police — opened fire at a Hannukah event on Sunday.
Ahmed al-Ahmed has been hailed as a hero for running toward one of the Bondi Beach shooters and likely preventing more deaths. Al-Ahmed, who served in Syria’s security forces, told his cousin he was going to die before jumping into action.
Footage that widely circulated on social media, which has been verified by CBC News, shows a man later identified by a minister as al-Ahmed crouched behind a parked car.
Al-Ahmed then charged at the shooter from behind and wrestled away his rifle, before pointing the weapon at the shooter, who fell to the ground.
The man disarmed by al-Ahmed got up but, under fire from police, soon fell again. The other shooter traded fire with police for another minute before he, too, fell.
What is his condition?
Al-Ahmed’s family said he was hit in the hand and arm and is currently recovering in hospital from bullet wounds.
His parents, Mohamed Fateh and Malakeh Hasan al-Ahmed, told state broadcaster ABC News Monday that he was shot four to five times in his shoulder and is awaiting further surgery for his wounds.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said al-Ahmed was shot by a second perpetrator, adding that his bravery saved lives.
“What we’ve seen in the last 24 hours was the worst of humanity in a terrorist act. But we also saw an example of the best of humanity in Ahmed al-Ahmed running towards danger, putting his own life at risk,” Albanese told ABC.
What has his family said?
Mohamed Fateh al-Ahmed said that his son was an Australian citizen and sells fruits and vegetables. He said Ahmed was having coffee with a friend in the area when shots rang out.
“My son is a hero. He served in the police, he has the passion to defend people,” Mohamed Fateh told ABC News on Monday. It is not clear which police force al-Ahmed served in and in what capacity.
“When he saw people lying on the ground and the blood, quickly his conscience pushed him to attack one of the terrorists and take away his weapon.”
Mohamed Fateh and Malakeh Hasan al-Ahmed said they arrived in Sydney from Syria a couple of months ago. They told ABC that they had been separated from their son since he came to Australia in 2006.
Malakeh said she kept “beating myself up and crying” after she received the call that her son had been shot in “an accident.”
“I’m proud that my son was helping people, rescuing people,” she said.
“He saw they were dying, and people were losing their lives, and when that guy [the attacker] ran out of ammo, he took [the gun] from him, but he was hit,” she added.
How have locals reacted to his actions?
Outside St. George Hospital, strangers came to show their support.
Misha and Veronica Pochuev left flowers for al-Ahmed with their seven-year-old daughter, Miroslava.
“My husband is Russian, my father is Jewish, my grandpa is Muslim. This is not only about Bondi, this is about every person,” Pochuev said.
Aaron Ashton hailed al-Ahmed as a “national hero” at the scene of a memorial a day after the shooting.
“A lot of people around the world wouldn’t have done that, a lot of people would have run away from the gunfire. He ran towards it,” Ashton told Reuters.
Another resident described the act as “mesmerizing.”
“I just can’t believe he had the courage to run straight in and put his body on the line for so many people … he saved so many people. If it wasn’t for him, who knows how long it could have kept on going,” Jaymee Williams said.
People in Sydney, Australia, praised Ahmed al-Ahmed after he was identified as the bystander who charged a gunman during a mass shooting event, praising his bravery for rushing into a dangerous situation. Al-Ahmed’s family has said he is in hospital after surgery for bullet wounds.
A GoFundMe campaign set up for al-Ahmed has raised more than $1.1 million AUS ($1 million Cdn) in one day.
Yomna Touni, 43, stayed at the hospital for hours to offer assistance on behalf of a Muslim-run charity also raising funds for al-Ahmed.
“The intention is to raise as much money as possible for his speedy recovery,” she said.
Lubaba Alhmidi AlKahil, a spokesperson for the Australians for Syria Association, told As It Happens host Nil Köksal on CBC Radio that al-Ahmed made the community proud.
“Not only the Syrians. Every peaceful human being is proud of him,” she said.
AlKahil visited him in hospital on Monday. He was dizzy and unable to speak much, she said, and he has a long recovery ahead of him.
Whenever there is a large attack like this, AlKahil says Muslims brace for backlash and Islamophobia.
But al-Ahmed’s actions have changed the narrative, she says.
“He saved the people who were on Bondi Beach, but also he saved all Muslims,” she said. “We’re really so thankful to him.”
What have political leaders said?
Tributes have poured in from leaders both home and abroad.
Chris Minns, the premier of New South Wales, where Sydney is located, said in a social media post that he visited al-Ahmed at St. George Hospital and conveyed the gratitude of people across the state.
“Ahmed is a real-life hero,” his post said. “Thank you, Ahmed.” A photo showed Minns at his bedside, and Ahmed propped on pillows with his left arm in a cast.
U.S. President Donald Trump called al-Ahmed “a very, very brave person” who saved many lives.