Hero bystander tackles gunman in incredible footage
Updated ,first published
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The heroic bystander who wrestled an allegedly armed man with a rifle in a moment of courage that could have saved his life was identified as the 43-year-old father of two Ahmed al Ahmed.
Showing incredible courage, Ahmed threw himself into the line of fire to grab his rifle from the attacker and was later shot with at least two bullets.
Ahmed’s cousin, identified only as Mustafa, spoke to Seven News outside St George’s Hospital, where he had surgery. Mustafa confirmed to Seven that Ahmed targeted the gunman and later suffered gunshot wounds to his upper arm and hand.
“We don’t know exactly what’s going on in the hospital and inside,” Mustafa said.
“We hope he’ll be okay. He’s 100 percent a hero.”
Ahmed is from Sydney’s Sutherland Shire and owns a fruit business. The man had no known experience with guns and was visiting Bondi when he saw the shooting, Seven News reported.
Incredible footage from the scene on Bondi Beach shows one of the gunmen, dressed in a black shirt and white trousers, holding a black bag and standing next to two bins next to the Campbell Parade car park, firing into a crowd gathered on a nearby lawn.
Dressed in a white or light blue shirt and black pants, Ahmed advances toward the gunman in the parking lot, crouching behind a parked car and getting as close to the shooter as possible while staying out of sight.
When he gets close enough, he lunges at him, wraps his arms around the gunman, and wrestles him until he wrests the rifle from his hands. The gunman falls to the ground on his back as Ahmed picks up the rifle and points it at him.
The shooter then retreats and walks toward the parking lot overpass, where the other shooter is still on duty.
Ahmed puts his rifle against a tree and retreats. As the footage continues, another eyewitness is seen running after the gunman and throwing something at him as he walks towards the bridge.
Other footage from the scene shows the gunman then joining the other attacker on the bridge. Ahmed, who entered the line of fire at great personal risk to save his life, was subsequently shot twice and suffered gunshot wounds to his upper arm and hand.
Speaking to the media before Ahmed’s identity was confirmed, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns touted his bravery.
“Today we saw Australians running into danger to help others. These Australians are heroes and their bravery saved lives,” Albanese said at a press conference.
At a separate news conference, Minns noted “the extraordinary acts of personal bravery and courage demonstrated by individuals in our community.”
“It’s worth remembering that in all this evil, in all this sadness, there are still wonderful, brave Australians willing to risk their lives to help a complete stranger.”
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Josefine Ganko is the nightly producer of The Sydney Morning Herald, based in London. He was formerly a breaking news reporter and news blogger.Connect with: excitement or email.
