‘Real-life hero’: NSW Premier meets with Bondi hero Ahmed Al Ahmed after heroic confrontation with terrorists

A Sydney man lauded as a hero for confronting and disarming one of the Bondi Beach terrorists is actually a tobacco shop owner, after he was initially misidentified as a fruit shop owner in the Sutherland region. Ahmed Al Ahmed was filmed rushing one of the two gunmen who opened fire on a Jewish event in Bondi on Sunday night, grabbing him from behind and wrestling away the man’s firearm. The 42-year-old was shot twice in the ordeal and is currently recovering in hospital. But as word of his heroic act spread, Mr Al Ahmed was mistakenly named as a fruit seller from the Sutherland Shire in Sydney’s south - despite confirmation he has actually owned and operated his own tobacconist and specialist convenience store since 2021. As news of his bravery spread, well-wishers rushed to the social media of Sutherland Best Fresh, mistakenly believing it belonged to Mr Al Ahmed. Sutherland Best Fresh set the record straight in a Monday morning post. “So sad to see this tragedy happen this afternoon in Bondi,” they wrote on Facebook. “There has been a miscommunication … on where this great Australian hero’s fruit shop location is. “We do not know who Ahmed is, nor the location of his fruit shop. “We congratulate this hero and wish him a speedy recovery. Praying for those who have been affected.” NSW Premier Chris Minns personally met with Mr Al Ahmed during his recovery, posting a touching message to Instagram about his heroism. “Ahmed is a real-life hero. Last night, his incredible bravery no doubt saved countless lives when he disarmed a terrorist at enormous personal risk,” Mr Minns wrote. “It was an honour to spend time with him just now 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. “Thank you, Ahmed.” Speaking to the ABC earlier in the day, Mr Al Ahmed’s father Mohamed Fateh Al Ahmed spoke of their son’s move to Australia in 2006 and why he was in Bondi in the first place on the day of the massacre. “What happened is: his friend told him, ‘Let’s go have coffee at Bondi’,” Mr Al Ahmed’s father told the broadcaster. “They got there, and were shocked to see armed men firing their weapons. “Their lives were in danger. He noticed one of the armed men at a distance.” Mr Al Ahmed lauded his son as a “hero” who had the impulse to protect people. “When he saw people laying on the ground and the blood everywhere, immediately his conscience and his soul compelled him to pounce on one of the terrorists and rid him of his weapon,” he said. “I feel pride and honour, because my son is a hero of Australia.” Malakeh Hasan Al Ahmed – Mr Al Ahmed’s mother – said her son saved lives on that fateful day. She told the ABC her son noticed one of the shooters had run out of ammunition when he pounced on him. “But he was hit,” she said. “We pray that God saves him.” Speaking to The Australian, his cousin, Hozay Alkanj, described the moment Mr al Ahmed confronted the gunman. “It was two shots, nothing is easy,” Mr Alkanj said. “We went behind the cars and we were seeing the people, they were shooting, that was very near to us. “He was very scared and was saying ‘I’m gonna die, please stay with me, please tell my family’.” Mr Alkanj said his cousin came from Idlib in Syria – long home to the country’s main rebel force prior to the fall of dictator Bashar al-Assad – and was the owner of a tobacco shop. He confirmed his brother was still under observation at St George Hospital, where he was in “a lot of pain”. “He saved many lives,” Mr Alkanj said. “This is the first time it’s happened in Australia … and (I moved here) three years ago.” Blood donor Nancy Sharma, who spoke with Mr Alkanj, earlier told The Australian that Mr al Ahmed was “under observation and just getting better”. “That guy is a national hero at the moment,” she said. “You hear about these things in the US, but not in Australia … this has never happened to us.” “I just had a brief chat with (Mr al Ahmed’s cousin) and he said he’s doing well and I hope he gets better.” Mr al Ahmed’s cousin, Mustafa, earlier confirmed the 42-year-old was in hospital in an interview with 7News. News of Mr al-Ahmed’s bravery also spread internationally. Jerusalem Post editor-in-chief Zvika Klein said in an op-ed “if there is a Jewish Nobel for saving Jews, Ahmed al-Ahmed just won it”. “I believe the State of Israel should acknowledge him,” Mr Klein said “Maybe he should be the next laureate of the Genesis Prize,” he continued, referring to an award which usually recognises Jewish individuals. The pair can be seen carrying and firing what appear to be double barrel shotguns, as gunshots echo through the suburb. A GoFundMe set up for Mr al-Ahmed had raised more than $300,000 as of 12.30pm on Monday. The campaign was “created to show our gratitude and support for someone who demonstrated incredible courage when it mattered most”, organisers CarHub Australia said. “No one expects to be a hero, but when the moment came, he was,” the post read. “Any contribution, big or small, is a powerful way to say thank you.” At least 10 people have been killed, including children, a police officer, and one of the shooters, after dual gunmen opened fire on a Chanukah event at Bondi Beach. One gunman is understood to have been shot dead and another has been shot and is in custody in a critical condition. At least 18 people have been taken to hospitals across Sydney, including one to Sydney Children's Hospital. Among the injured are two police officers. American billionaire hedge fund manager William Akman donated $99,999 to the campaign. In a tweet on Monday, he said: “What is clear is that a brave hero saved lives in Australia.” He called on anyone aware of Mr al-Ahmed’s identity to create a GoFundMe. CarHub Australia, a motor industry advocacy group, donated $50,000 to the campaign. At least 15 people were killed when a father and son opened fire on a Chanukah event on Bondi Beach on Sunday night. One of the gunmen, a 50-year-old man, was shot and killed by police. The other, 24-year-old Naveed Akram, was shot and remained in hospital in a critical condition. At least another 42 people were injured, many critically, with at least two children among the injured. Addressing the nation on Sunday night, 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,” he said. Counter-terrorism police are investigating the attack.