Hero Ahmed gets shot while stopping Australian Beach attack
His parents said Ahmed was “shot four to five times,” with several bullets striking his shoulder and remaining lodged in his body. His mother explained how the incident unfolded, saying:
"He saw they were dying, and people were losing their lives, and when that guy (the shooter) ran out of ammo, he (Ahmed) took it from him, but he was hit."
Australian authorities reported that two shooters—a 50-year-old man and his 24-year-old son—opened fire along Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday evening, killing 15 people and wounding 42 others. One of the attackers was killed at the scene, while the second suffered critical injuries. Police described the incident as a “terrorist act.”
Ahmed, an Australian citizen originally from Syria, moved to Australia in 2006. Born in the village of al-Nayrab in northwestern Syria’s Idlib governorate, he works as a fruit seller and is the father of two young daughters, aged three and six. He had been separated from his parents for nearly two decades before they arrived in Australia only months ago.
As Ahmed continues to recover, his parents said, "We pray that God saves him."
They described him as someone who acts without prejudice, saying he "would have done anything to protect anyone, regardless of their background or faith." His father added:
"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."
They further emphasized Ahmed’s values, noting:
"Ahmed doesn't discriminate between one nationality and another. Especially here in Australia, there's no difference between one citizen and another."
According to the family, Ahmed and a friend had been sitting at the beach drinking coffee when they heard gunshots. Video footage later surfaced showing Ahmed approaching one of the attackers from behind, tackling him, and seizing his rifle. The footage has since spread widely online, garnering millions of views.
A relative said Ahmed’s first surgery was successful, adding: "I think he's got two or three surgery, it depends."
International recognition has followed. A senior US leader praised Ahmed’s actions, saying:
"It's been a very, very brave person, actually, who went and attacked frontally one of the shooters and saved a lot of lives,"
and added that the man "is right now in the hospital, pretty seriously wounded."
An online fundraising campaign launched in Ahmed’s name has surpassed $1 million in donations. Police have acknowledged that the intervention by civilians helped prevent further casualties.
Ahmed remains hospitalized as authorities continue to investigate the attack.
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