In a remarkable act of bravery that captured global attention, Sydney shopkeeper Ahmed al Ahmed has been officially recognized as a national hero after confronting and disarming one of the gunmen responsible for Australia’s deadliest mass shooting since 1996. The incident occurred on December 14th during a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach, where fifteen attendees lost their lives and forty others sustained injuries in what authorities have declared a terrorist attack targeting the Jewish community.
Ahmed al Ahmed, a Syrian-born Australian citizen and father of two, described the profound internal conviction that drove his actions during an exclusive interview with CBS News. “Emotionally, I felt a power in my body, my brain,” Ahmed recounted. “I don’t want to see people killed in front of me, I don’t want to see blood. That’s my soul asking me to do that.”
Verified footage shows Ahmed tackling 50-year-old Sajid Akram from behind and wrestling away his long-arm firearm during the attack. “I hold him with my right hand and start saying a word to warn him – ‘drop your gun, stop doing what you’re doing’,” Ahmed explained of his split-second decision-making process.
The heroic intervention came at significant personal cost. Ahmed was shot multiple times in the shoulder by the second alleged gunman—Akram’s son Naveed—requiring at least three surgical procedures during his hospitalization. Despite his injuries, Ahmed expressed that while his actions saved “lots of people,” he still felt profound sorrow “for the lost.”
Australia’s political leadership has unanimously praised Ahmed’s courage. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited the shopkeeper in hospital, describing him as “the best of our country,” while New South Wales Premier Chris Minns called him a “real-life hero.” The public response has been equally overwhelming, with tens of thousands of community members contributing to a A$2.5 million (£1.24 million; $1.7 million) recognition fund presented to Ahmed during his recovery.
According to his parents, who spoke with BBC Arabic, their son was “driven by his sentiment, conscience and humanity.” The younger Akram has since been charged with 59 offenses including 15 counts of murder and one count of committing a terrorist attack, while his father was shot dead by responding police officers.