‘I’m going to die. Tell my family I saved lives’

A hero who disarmed one of two gunmen at Bondi Beach has told his cousin he thought he was going to die before confronting his attacker.

Ahmed Ahmed, a Syrian national who serves in the police, said: “I’m dying… tell my family I saved people’s lives,” before rushing towards a gunman and grabbing his rifle.

Mr Ahmed, a 43-year-old father of two, remains in hospital in a critical but stable condition after undergoing surgery for multiple gunshot wounds.

Jozay Alkanj told reporters outside the hospital on Monday morning about his cousin’s bravery, saying: “He said: ‘I’m dying, please meet my family and tell them I came down to save people’s lives.'”

Credit:X

Ahmed’s father said his son “served in the police and central security forces” and had an “impulse to protect people”. It was unclear whether he had served with police forces in Syria or Australia.

Mohamed Fattah Ahmed said: “When he saw people lying on the ground and blood everywhere, his conscience and soul immediately forced him to jump on a terrorist. I feel proud and honored because my son is an Australian hero.”

Mustafa Assad, the hero’s cousin, said: “He couldn’t bear to see people die when he saw them dying and his family members being shot. It was an act of humanity, more than anything else.”

Mr Ahmed, a father of two young daughters, arrived in Australia in 2006 from Idlib, Syria. His parents had recently reunited with him in Sydney after years of separation.

A GoFundMe campaign launched for Mr Ahmed’s recovery raised more than A$1 million (£496,000) within hours. Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman donated nearly $100,000 and shared the fundraiser on social media.

It was Australia’s worst mass shooting in nearly three decades, leaving at least 16 people dead, including 15 victims and an attacker. Police said 42 people were still in hospital as of Monday evening.

Image source: Sky News

Ahmed, who owned a fruit shop in the Sydney suburb of Sutherland, was shot four to five times in the shoulder, arm and hand after grabbing the gunman’s rifle from behind, his family said.

Video footage shared widely on social media shows the Australian citizen hiding behind a parked car before running towards the gunman, jumping on him and wresting the weapon from his hands.

Social media video showed one of the alleged attackers, Naveed Akram, using what appeared to be a Beretta BRX1 straight-pull shotgun.

Experts said his shooting technique revealed previous training. The suspect’s tactical reloading, sight alignment, and target switching indicated that he had received firearms instruction prior to carrying out the terrorist attack.

Mr Ahmed’s father said his son was having coffee with friends when he heard gunshots. He added that his son would take action to protect anyone, regardless of their background.

“When he did what he did, he didn’t consider the background of the people he was saving,” he said. “He does not discriminate between one nationality and another.”

Mr Ahmed’s mother told the ABC: “He saw they were dying, people were losing their lives and when the man ran out of ammunition he took the ammunition from his hand but he was shot. We prayed to God to save him.”

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese mentioned Mr Ahmed at a news conference on Monday and praised his actions, calling him an example of “Australians coming together”.

“Ahmed Ahmed took the gun away from the perpetrator at great risk and was seriously injured as a result,” Mr Albanese said.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns called Mr Ahmed a “real hero” and called the video footage “the most incredible scene I have ever seen”.

US President Donald Trump also praised him, calling him “a very, very brave man” who saved many lives.

Alkanji said Ahmed underwent surgery on Monday and underwent two to three surgeries at St. George’s Hospital in Koggala.

Outside the hospital, strangers came to express their support. Misha and Veronica Pochuev brought their seven-year-old daughter Miroslava to send flowers.

Miloslava held a bouquet of flowers with the words “For Ahmed: Courage and saving lives.”

On Monday afternoon, Lubaba Alhmidi AlKahil, media director of the Syrian Society of Australia, visited Mr Al Ahmed with food and flowers.

“Everything he did, he was truly a superhero,” she said. “The community is very proud of him.”

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