Ahmed al-Ahmad, a 43-year-old Muslim man identified by Australian media, tackled and disarmed one of the shooters at the Bondi Beach mass shooting on Sunday.
Ahmad, whose cousin told Australia’s 7NEWS that he was shot once in the arm and once in the shoulder, is being hailed as a hero on social media.
“He’s a hero. One hundred percent a hero. Once we saw on social media, he’s 100% a hero,” his cousin, Mustafa al-Ahmad, said.
Ahmad is recovering in hospital after undergoing surgery for bullet wounds to his arm and hand, his family said.
Footage circulating on social media shows Ahmed running up to a man in a dark shirt who is holding a rifle. He then tackles the armed man from behind, wrenching the rifle from him with his hands before pointing the gun back at the man.
The video then shows the man in a dark shirt losing his footing, backing away toward a bridge where another shooter was located, while the bystander places the gun down on the ground.
Reuters confirmed the video from a verified source, corroborating footage showing the same men.
Reuters also verified that the armed men in the video are the same as the individuals seen surrounded by the police in verified, corroborating visuals by their clothing.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Ahmad’s efforts during an address.
“We saw an action of a brave man – turns out a brave Muslim man, and I salute him – that stopped one of these terrorists from killing innocent Jews.”
The footage of the bystander’s actions spread quickly on social media as people praised the man for his bravery, saying his actions had potentially saved many lives. His identity was not immediately known.
“Australian hero (random civilian) wrestles gun off attacker and disarms him. Some people are brave, and then some people are... whatever this is,” one person said on X/Twitter, sharing the video.
“This Australian man saved countless lives by disarming one of the terrorists at Bondi Beach. HERO,” another said.
Minns said it was the “most unbelievable scene I’ve ever seen.”
“A man walking up to a gunman who had fired on the community and single-handedly disarming him, putting his own life at risk to save the lives of countless other people.”
“That man is a genuine hero, and I’ve got no doubt that there are many, many people alive tonight as a result of his bravery.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised the actions of Australians who had “run towards danger in order to help others.”
“These Australians are heroes, and their bravery has saved lives,” he told a press conference.
Netanyahu went on to slam Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, saying that his government “did nothing to stop the spread of antisemitism in Australia.
“You let the disease spread, and the result is the horrific attacks on Jews we saw today.”
His speech was given before Ahmad's identity was reportedly identified.
Footage of civilian wrestling gun from Bondi Beach terrorist goes viral
One suspected gunman was killed, and another was in critical condition following the shooting, and police said they were investigating whether a third gunman was involved.