Despite strict gun laws in many first-world countries, crime continues to run rampant, and since police cannot always be the first responders to deadly shootings, civilians sometimes have to take action themselves. One such “hero,” named Ahmed al Ahmed, put his life on the line and stopped one of the gunmen in last week’s Bondi Beach shooting. Ahmed crouched behind the attacker, surprised him from the back, put him in a chokehold, and then took his gun, forcing the gunman, Naveed Akram, to retreat. The video of the heroic act has gone viral and brought praise from world leaders like Israeli PM Netanyahu. Ahmed was also seen injured with 2 bullet shots in the leg. He was taken to the hospital later and is since in a stable condition. A fundraiser was started for Ahmed following the shooting. It has raised over $1.2 million as of Monday, according to the GoFundMe page. Ahmed is a 43-year-old fruit shop owner who happened to be walking by a Hanukkah celebration, enjoyed by hundreds of Jewish families, on Sunday at an event called Chanukah by the Sea. He heard the gunshots and let his instincts take over without wasting a single second.
The Bondi Beach shooting – Timeline
- On 14 December 2025, at evening local time in Sydney, gunshots were reported at Archer Park near Bondi Beach, during a Hanukkah celebration called Chanukah by the Sea.
- The event was attended by hundreds to over a thousand people, mainly Jewish families celebrating the festival of Hanukkah.
- Two gunmen, later identified as a father and son, opened fire on the crowd from an elevated footbridge near the beach. The duo was later named as Sajid Akram (50) and Naveed Akram (24).
- Multiple shots were fired using a bolt-action rifle, a shotgun, and other ammunition, causing panic and chaos as people fled the area.
- An unarmed civilian bystander tackled one of the attackers from behind and disarmed him, preventing further immediate harm.
- New South Wales (NSW) Police arrived quickly and engaged the attackers; one gunman was shot dead by the police in a firefight.
- The second gunman was wounded, arrested, and taken into custody by police. He could be seen pinned down by the police, according to social media footage
- Authorities later found suspected improvised explosive devices (IEDs) connected to the attackers, which did not detonate.
- The attack resulted in 16 fatalities (including one attacker) and more than 40 people were injured, including women, children, and elderly victims.
- More than 25 emergency medical resources were deployed to the scene, including ambulances, paramedics, and air support.
- The incident was declared a terrorist attack motivated by antisemitism.
