The father of a “hero” bystander who wrestled a gun from one of the Bondi Beach attackers has told the BBC his son “saw the victims, the blood, women and children lying on the street, and then acted”.
Video verified by the BBC showed Ahmed al Ahmed, 43, running at the gunman and seizing his weapon, before turning the gun round on him and forcing his retreat. He was shot multiple times and has since undergone surgery for his wounds.
His father told BBC Arabic: “Ahmed was driven by his sentiment, conscience and humanity.”
The fruit shop owner and father of two has been hailed as a hero for intervening in the shooting, which killed 15 people and left dozens injured at an event to celebrate Hanukkah on Sunday.
Police have declared it a terrorist incident targeting the Jewish community.
Mr Ahmed was meeting a friend for coffee in the area when the attack unfolded, his father said.
His son did not hesitate to intervene and “rushed forward, stopped the gunman, and snatched his weapon”.
The family said they felt immense pride in Mr Ahmed, who was now in a stable condition and awaiting further treatment for wounds to his shoulder and hand.
Speaking from Syria, where Mr Ahmed was born and raised, his uncle remarked: “He made us proud – our village, Syria, all Muslims and the entire world.”
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns shared a picture of himself and Mr Ahmed late on Monday and described him as a “real-life hero”.
“His incredible bravery no doubt saved countless lives when he disarmed a terrorist at enormous personal risk,” he wrote on Facebook.
He said it had been an honour to spend time with Mr Ahmed and “to pass on the thanks of people across NSW”.
“There is no doubt that more lives would have been lost if not for Ahmed’s selfless courage.”
Meanwhile, a US billionaire donated A$99,999 (US$ 65,000; £49,000) to Mr Ahmed, calling him a “brave hero”.
William Ackman, the CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management, made the top donation to a GoFundMe for Mr Ahmed, which had raised more than $1m by late Monday.
The footage of Mr Ahmed’s intervention was shared widely online.
It shows one of the gunmen standing behind a palm tree near a small pedestrian bridge, aiming and shooting his gun towards a target out of sight.
Mr Ahmed, who was hiding behind a parked car, is seen leaping out at the attacker and tackling him.
He manages to wrestle the gun from the attacker, pushes him to the ground and points the gun towards him. The attacker begins to retreat back to the bridge.
Mr Ahmed then lowers the weapon and raises one hand in the air, appearing to show police he was not one of the shooters.
The same attacker is later seen on the bridge picking up another weapon and firing again.
Another gunman also continues firing from the bridge. It is unclear who or what they are aiming at.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sunday: “We have seen Australians today run towards danger in order to help others.
“These Australians are heroes, and their bravery has saved lives.”
Speaking at a White House Christmas reception, US President Donald Trump also praised Mr Ahmed, saying he had “great respect” for him.
“It’s been a very, very brave person, actually, who went and attacked frontally one of the shooters, and saved a lot of lives,” he said.
Police say that the two shooters involved were a father and son aged 50 and 24. They have been named by local media as Sajid Akram and son Naveed Akram.
Sajid Akram died at the scene while his son remains in hospital in critical condition.
Soure: BBC
