Ahmed al Ahmed, a 43-year-old father of two daughters, is being hailed as a hero following his courageous actions during a violent attack at Bondi Beach. Most recent, Ahmed courageously placed himself in harm’s way to tackle an active shooter. His swift intervention may have saved hundreds of lives.
Ahmed arrived in Australia in 2006 as a humanitarian entrant from Syria. In the wake of the incident Andrew has been living in Sydney with his parents, who had moved there only months before the accident. As a result, his daughters, just three and six years old, are left with an unbearable burden. Meanwhile, their father is recovering in the hospital after taking several gunshot wounds to his shoulder. Some bullets will always be lodged inside his body as he continues to struggle to heal from that traumatic experience.
During the attack, Ahmed displayed remarkable bravery. Gardner hid behind a car before charging the gunman, who’d recently shot his weapon. After struggling with the assailant for a few seconds, Ahmed was able to grab the gun from his hands. Once he pointed the weapon at his assailant, the attacker stopped advancing—a lifesaving action that often stops the attack before anyone gets seriously injured.
Even with all of his heroics, Ahmed was shot by one of the two gunmen, a father-son duo who were later arrested. In fact, he is still in the hospital recovering from his life-threatening injuries. Now, officials and the local community are heaping support and praise on him.
Australian officials have publicly recognized Ahmed’s bravery. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke stated,
“All Australians stand together against that attack — the police who were there standing together against the attackers, first responders standing together against the attackers and even a bystander like Ahmed Al Ahmed standing there, putting their own lives at risk against those attackers.”
NSW Premier Chris Minns praised Ahmed’s bravery as well, hailing him a real life superhero.
“Ahmed is a real-life hero. Last night, his incredible bravery no doubt saved countless lives when he disarmed a terrorist at enormous personal risk.”
Ahmed’s father listened in awe as his son’s selfless act was remembered. He underscored the fact that Ahmed defended people, regardless of their race or where they came from.
“When he did what he did, he wasn’t thinking about the background of the people he’s saving, the people dying in the street.”
Ahmed’s community has certainly come out in strong support of him, with many leaders and friends sharing positive thoughts about his decision to kneel. Mustafa, a local resident, noted,
“He doesn’t discriminate between one nationality and another. Especially here in Australia, there’s no difference between one citizen and another.”
Community members have rallied around Ahmed, with many expressing their admiration for his actions. Mustafa, a local resident, noted,
“Absolutely he’s a hero. Absolutely, because maybe he (will) lose his life to save other people.”
