Mon 15 DecMonday 15 December
In short:
The ABC has spoken to the parents of Ahmed Al Ahmed as he awaits multiple surgeries for gunshot wounds.
The 43-year-old was filmed disarming one of the Bondi Beach gunmen during an attack that killed 15 people.
A fundraiser set up on behalf of the father of two has raised more than $550,000 in 12 hours.
Link copiedShare article
The parents of a fruit shop owner who tackled and disarmed one of the Bondi Beach attackers have called their son a hero.
Incredible footage shows Ahmed Al Ahmed, 43, running up to one of the gunmen from behind before wrestling a long-barrelled gun from him.
The vision has been broadcast by media outlets around the world and has been viewed more than 22 million times on social media.
The footage shows a second civilian running towards the now-unarmed shooter and throwing an object at him. As the shooter starts to walk away, the two remain crouched behind a tree.
Mr Ahmed’s parents told the ABC he was shot four to five times in his shoulder, with several of the bullets still lodged inside him.
Mohamed Fateh Al Ahmed and Malakeh Hasan Al Ahmed said they landed in Sydney from Syria only a couple of months ago and had been separated from their son since he came to Australia in 2006.
‘He saw people were dying’
Ms Ahmed said she kept “beating myself up and crying” when she received the call that her son had been shot in “an accident”.
“He saw they were dying, and people were losing their lives, and when that guy [the shooter] ran out of ammo, he took it from him, but he was hit,” she said.
“We pray that God saves him.”
Read more on the Bondi Beach shooting:
- Bondi Beach shooting live updates
- Gunmen underwent ‘military-style training’ in Philippines
- Naveed Akram was follower of notorious antisemitic Sydney cleric
- How two men in a silver car brought terror to Bondi
Ahmed Al Ahmed was having coffee with a friend in Bondi when he heard gunshots ring out, according to his parents.
He had spotted one of the gunmen crouched behind a tree, and when his ammo ran out, Ahmed Al Ahmed approached him from behind, managing to wrestle the gun from his hands.
“At the same moment, his [the armed man’s] other friend was on the bridge … it seems he had a sniper rifle, or I don’t know, he tried to kill him and hit him in his shoulder,”
his father said.
They said the father of two daughters — aged three and six — would have done anything to protect anyone, regardless of their background or faith.
“When he did what he did, he wasn’t thinking about the background of the people he’s saving, the people dying in the street,” Mr Ahmed said.
“He doesn’t discriminate between one nationality and another. Especially here in Australia, there’s no difference between one citizen and another.”
Speaking to media on Monday afternoon, his cousin Hozay Alkanj said he had undergone his first surgery successfully.
“He’s done the first surgery, I think he’s got two or three surgery, it depends,” he said.
Later on Monday, NSW Premier Chris Minns posted an image with Mr Ahmed from his hospital room at St George Hospital.
“Ahmed is a real-life hero,” Mr Minns wrote on social media.
“Last night [Sunday], his incredible bravery no doubt saved countless lives when he disarmed a terrorist at enormous personal risk.
“It was an honour to spend time with him just now and to pass on the thanks of people across New South Wales.”
In the US, his bravery caught the attention of President Donald Trump and billionaire and hedge fund manager William Ackman.
Mr Trump mentioned his actions during a speech at the White House, saying he “saved a lot of lives”.
“So very brave person who’s right now in the hospital, pretty seriously wounded. So, great respect to that man that did that,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Ackman’s donation of $100,000 to an online fundraiser set up for Mr Ahmed, has become the highest pledge so far.
The fundraiser set up on behalf of Ahmed Al Ahmed has so far raised $550,000 in 12 hours.
Child as young as 10 among victims killed
At least 15 people were killed when Naveed Akram, 24, and his father Sajid Akram, 50, opened fire on Jewish patrons attending a Hanukkah festival on Sunday.
The ages of the victims ranged from as young as 10 to 87 years old.
Another 42 people were taken to hospital with their conditions ranging from stable to critical.
The 24-year-old gunman is in hospital under police guard following a shootout with police, which killed his father.
A satellite map showing the location of a shooting in Bondi
Bondi Beach
During a press conference on Monday, Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said he was “likely” to face criminal charges.
Commissioner Lanyon said lives were saved because of the actions of bystanders.
If you or anyone you know needs help:
- Lifeline (24-hour Crisis Line): 13 11 14
- Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800
- Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467
- Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636
- Headspace: 1800 650 890
- ReachOut: au.reachout.com
“I think we have seen very clearly on footage, the bravery of officers and members of the public who took very prompt action,”
he said.
“It would have been an incredibly chaotic and terrifying scene even for well-trained officers.”
Mr and Ms Ahmed are still waiting for surgeons to remove the bullets lodged in their son’s shoulder, with some suspected to have struck deep into the bone.
Family calls on PM for help
They fear that due to their age, they won’t be able to help their son in his recovery.
As a result, they are calling on the Albanese government to help his two brothers, one from Germany and the other from Russia, to travel to Australia to support the family.
“He needs help now as he’s become disabled now,” Ms Ahmed said.
“We need our other children to come here to help.”
source
