LONDON, Dec 15 — A fruit shop owner has been hailed a “genuine hero” for tackling one of the Bondi Beach attackers and grabbing his gun.
Ahmed al-Ahmed, a father-of-two, has been named by relatives as the man fighting the terrorist in a video shared widely on social media.
His family said al-Ahmed, from the Sutherland area of Sydney, remains in hospital where he has undergone surgery for bullet wounds to his arm and hand.
The 43-year-old is seen in the footage, wearing a white T-shirt and crouching behind a car before pouncing on the back of the gunman then grappling with him and snatching the rifle away from him.
The gunman backs away in a car park area as al-Ahmed points the shotgun at him.
Al-Ahmed is then seen raising his hand before resting the gun against a tree apparently to show to police that he was not one of the attackers.
His cousin Mustafa told 7News Australia: “Still he is in hospital and we don’t know exactly what is going on, the doctor says he is OK.
“We hope he is OK, he is a hero, 100 per cent he is a hero.
“He has two shots, one in his arm and one in his hand, he has had to have an operation.”
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns described al-Ahmed as a “genuine hero,” and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: “We have seen Australians today run towards danger in order to help others.
“These Australians are heroes, and their bravery has saved lives.”
