Syrian Roots, Split-Second Response: How Bondi Bystander Disarmed Sydney Shooting Gunman

Last Updated:December 17, 2025, 17:23 IST

Ahmed Al Ahmed previously served as a police officer and member of Syria’s central security forces before leaving the country in 2006.

Ahmed al Ahmed is recovering from his first round of surgery. (Image: X)

As gunfire ripped through a Jewish religious gathering at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, killing 15 people, a bystander lunged from behind parked cars, overpowering a gunman and wrenching the weapon from his hands. The man was Ahmed Al Ahmed and relatives now say that the courage that stunned the world was shaped by years spent in security forces back in Syria.

Coffee Meet Turned Into Life-Or-Death Moment

Ahmed Al Ahmed had gone to Bondi Beach on Sunday evening to meet a friend for coffee when two gunmen- Sajid Akram and his son Naveed Akram- opened fire at a Jewish gathering marking the first day of Hanukkah.

As people scattered, Ahmed al Ahmed took cover between two parked cars. Moments later, he charged. In the now-viral footage, he is seen grabbing one of the shooters from behind, forcibly pulling the gun from his grip and pointing it back at him. Seconds later, he was shot multiple times by the second gunman firing from a footbridge. Ahmed Al Ahmed suffered up to five gunshot wounds and is currently hospitalised.

‘He Didn’t Hesitate’

Family members said that the calm decisiveness seen in the video was no accident. Ahmed Al Ahmed previously served as a police officer and member of Syria’s central security forces before leaving the country in 2006, years before the civil war began.

“He did a heroic job. Without any hesitation, he tackled the terrorist just to save innocent people," a relative said. His father, Mohamed Fateh Al Ahmed, told Australia’s ABC that his son’s background in security shaped his instincts.

“I feel pride and honour because my son is a hero of Australia," he said. His mother, Malakeh Hasan Al Ahmed, added, “My son has always been brave. He helps people."

Ahmed Al Ahmed moved to Australia nearly two decades ago and now runs a small tobacco shop in Sydney. He is the father of two daughters, aged three and six. His parents relocated to Sydney earlier this year to live with him.

News world Syrian Roots, Split-Second Response: How Bondi Bystander Disarmed Sydney Shooting Gunman

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