A hero who disarmed one of two gunmen on Bondi Beach has told his cousin he thinks he will die before defeating the attacker.
Ahmed al-Ahmed, a Syrian national who worked in the police, said: “I’m going to die… tell my family I saved people’s lives,” before attacking one of the gunmen and fighting for his rifle.
Mr Al-Ahmad, a 43-year-old father of two, remains in hospital in a critical but stable condition after undergoing surgery for multiple gunshot wounds.
Outside the hospital on Monday morning, Jozay Alkanj told reporters about his cousin’s courage.
“He said, ‘I’m going to die, please see my family and tell them I’ve gone to save people’s lives,'” Mr Alkanj said.
Al-Ahmed’s father said his son served “in the police and under the central security forces” and had “the drive to protect people”. It was not clear whether he was working as a police officer in Syria or Australia.
Mohamed Fateh al-Ahmed added: “When he saw people lying on the ground and blood everywhere, immediately his conscience and soul compelled him to strike one of the terrorists… I feel proud and honoured, because my son is a hero of Australia.”
Mr Al-Ahmed risked his life to disarm one of the gunmen
Mustafa al-Asaad, the hero’s cousin, said: “When he saw people dying and their families being shot, he couldn’t bear to see people die. It was a humanitarian act, more than anything else.”
Mr Al-Ahmed, a father of two young daughters, arrived in Australia from Idlib, Syria, in 2006. His parents had only recently joined him in Sydney after years of separation.
Credit: Sky News
A GoFundMe campaign set up for Mr Al-Ahmed’s recovery has raised more than A$1m (£496,000) within hours.
Bill Ackman, the billionaire hedge fund manager, contributed nearly $100,000 and shared the fundraiser on social media.
At least 16 people have been killed, including 15 victims and one of the attackers, in Australia’s worst mass shooting in nearly three decades. Police said 42 people remained hospitalized Monday night.
Mr Al-Ahmed, who owns a fruit shop in the Sydney suburb of Sutherland, was shot four to five times in the shoulder, arm and hand after he seized the gunman’s rifle from behind, according to his family.
Video footage shared widely on social media showed the Australian national hiding behind parked cars before rushing towards the gunman, jumping on him and taking the gun from his hands.
Images on social media show Naveed Akram, one of the alleged attackers, using what appears to be a Beretta BRX1 hunting rifle.
Experts say his shooting technique reveals previous training. The suspect’s tactical reloading, sight alignment, and target transitions suggest he followed firearms instruction before committing the terrorist attack.
Al-Ahmed’s father said his son was drinking coffee with a friend when he heard gunshots ring out. He added that his son would have acted to protect anyone, regardless of past.
“When he did what he did, he didn’t think about the past of the people he was saving,” Mohamed Fateh said. “Do not discriminate between one nationality and another.”
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1512 Bondi shooting
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Mr Al-Ahmed’s mother told the ABC: “He saw people dying and people losing their lives, and when that guy ran out of ammunition, he took it, but he was hit. We pray that God saves him.”
Anthony Albanese, Australia’s prime minister, mentioned Mr Al-Ahmed at a news conference on Monday, paying tribute to his actions as an example of “Australians coming together”.
“Ahmed al-Ahmed took the gun from the perpetrator at great risk to himself and as a result suffered serious injuries,” Mr Albanese said.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns called Mr Al-Ahmed “a genuine hero”, saying the shooting was “the most incredible scene I have ever seen”.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns visited “real hero” Mr Al-Ahmed in hospital
US President Donald Trump also praised the hero, calling him “a very, very brave person” who saved many lives.
Mr Alkanji said he underwent surgery on Monday and faced two or three more procedures at St George’s Hospital in Kogarah.
Outside the hospital, strangers arrived to show their support. Misha and Veronica Pochuev brought their seven-year-old daughter Miroslava to lay flowers.
Miroslava held a bouquet that read “To Ahmed: for courage and lives saved.”
Lubaba Alhmidi AlKahil, media director for the Australians for Syria Association, visited Mr Al-Ahmed with food and flowers on Monday afternoon.
“What he did, he really is a superhero,” she said. “The community is very proud of him.”
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