Ahmed al Ahmed was shot multiple times while bravely tackling and disarming one of the Bondi Beach gunmen during the 14 December 2025 terror attack at a Hanukkah event in Sydney. He was hit as he rushed the attacker at close range, grabbed him from behind, and wrestled the rifle away in the middle of the shooting.

Quick Scoop

  • Ahmed al Ahmed is a 43‑year‑old shopkeeper and father of two who was attending or near the Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach when two gunmen opened fire on crowds, killing 15 people and injuring dozens more.
  • Seeing the shooter firing into the crowd, he ran toward him, jumped on his back, struck him, and tried to force him to drop the weapon rather than fleeing.
  • During this struggle, he was shot several times at very close range: reports from his family and doctors say four to five gunshot wounds, including to his chest, shoulder, and arm.

How he got shot

  • Ahmed was not shot as a bystander at a distance; he was shot while physically grappling with one of the attackers and attempting to pull the gun from his hands.
  • He describes leaping on the gunman from behind, yelling at him to stop and drop the weapon as the attacker continued firing, which is when bullets struck him in the upper body and arm.
  • Video and eyewitness descriptions show him ultimately succeeding in disarming the shooter, who then fled, while Ahmed collapsed and was helped away by bystanders.

Injuries and recovery

  • Doctors later told him he had been shot around five times, with three wounds to the chest/shoulder area and two to his arm, and that some bullets remain lodged in his shoulder.
  • He has undergone multiple surgeries and is still recovering, with nerve damage in his left hand that may be permanent, according to his interviews and family.
  • Fundraising campaigns in Australia and abroad have raised significant sums to support his medical treatment and his family while he cannot fully work.

Public reaction and debate

  • Australian leaders, including the prime minister, have publicly praised Ahmed as a hero who risked his life and likely saved many others by stopping one of the gunmen.
  • Social media and forum discussions heavily celebrate his actions, though there are also fringe posts speculating about details of his injuries or background, which are not supported by mainstream reporting.
  • News outlets emphasize that his intervention probably reduced the final death toll in what has been described as Australia’s deadliest mass shooting since 1996.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.