He snatched the gun from the perpetrator "Pray for me" - Sydney hero speaks out in video message
He confronted one of the attackers, was shot - and saved lives: Ahmed Al Ahmed, a fruit seller and father of two young daughters, is celebrated worldwide for his courageous efforts in Sydney.
15.12.2025, 18:24
15.12.2025, 18:27
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- Ahmed Al Ahmed, a 43-year-old fruit shop owner and father of two, overpowered one of the attackers in the Sydney attack and was shot himself.
- He is being celebrated as a hero in Australia, and a fundraising campaign for him raised over 550,000 Australian dollars in a short space of time.
- His parents, who recently arrived from Syria, expressed their pride in his courage and his willingness to save the lives of others.
His courage has impressed the world: according to media reports, the man who overpowered one of the Sydney attackers is Ahmed Al Ahmed, a 43-year-old fruit shop owner and father of two.
According to the Australian broadcaster ABC, he suffered gunshot wounds to the shoulder and will require multiple operations. 16 people died in the attack on a Jewish festival on the popular Bondi Beach, including one of the perpetrators.
According to ABC, Al Ahmed has two daughters, aged three and six. A fundraising campaign in support of the man raised more than 550,000 Australian dollars (around 291,000 Swiss francs) within twelve hours. The gunshot wounds are said to have been inflicted by the second attacker, who fired from a bridge.
"Pray for me"
Meanwhile, the hero of Sydney has spoken out in a video message. In the short clip, Ahmed el Ahmed can be seen in a hospital bed and looks very exhausted. "Pray for me, pray for my health," he says.
In Australia since 2006
Footage that has been clicked millions of times on social networks shows Al Ahmed overpowering one of the two attackers. He stalks him, grabs him from behind and, after a brief struggle, wrests the weapon from him. He first points it at the attacker lying on the ground and then lets him walk away. The disarmed man turns around several times as he limps away.
"My son is a hero," father Mohamed Fateh Al Ahmed told the ABC channel in Arabic. His son has been in Australia since 2006 and is an Australian citizen. The parents told the broadcaster that they had only arrived in Sydney a few months ago from Syria, where their son lives.
Father: "I feel pride and honor"
The 43-year-old had been with the police and the Central Security Forces. "He has the urge to protect people. When he saw people lying on the ground and blood everywhere, his conscience and soul immediately compelled him to pounce on one of the terrorists and snatch the gun from him," the father said. "I feel pride and honor - because my son is a hero of Australia."
His son was having coffee with a friend when they saw the gunmen, the father said, according to the broadcaster's translation.
The 43-year-old's mother, Malakeh Hasan Al Ahmed, told ABC: "I am proud that my son helped people, he saved lives, souls, God will not harm him because he was a benefactor. My son has always been brave, he helps people, that's who he is."
When the attacker ran out of ammunition, her son took the gun from him, but he was hit. "We pray that God will protect him." According to ABC, Ahmed Al Ahmed has two brothers - one of them lives in Germany, the other in Russia.
