Shots rang out. I hid behind a car. Then I wrestled the gun from the Bondi beach shooter

When Ahmed Al Ahmed heard loud cracks on that December evening in 2025, his first thought was that they were fireworks. But it was still daylight, and his cousin quickly realized they were gunshots. As two gunmen opened fire on a Jewish community celebrating Hanukah at Bondi beach in Sydney, Al Ahmed and his cousin hid between two cars. 'It was like hell,' he recalls, describing the continuous shooting and screams of women and children.

By the time the attack ended, 15 people were dead at the scene, with a 16th victim dying in hospital almost a year later. One gunman was shot dead by police, while the other was disarmed by Al Ahmed. The Syrian-born construction worker, who had lived in Australia for 20 years, described feeling his heart pounding and hearing his rapid breathing as he hid.

Quick thinking under fire

Peeking above the car, Al Ahmed saw a man in black with a rifle firing from a footbridge about 50 meters away. When another gunman appeared nearby but didn't spot him, Al Ahmed acted on instinct. 'I just saw myself stand up, quietly, very quickly,' he says. He crept around cars to get a better view, seeing people lying dead and wounded.

After praying, Al Ahmed ran at the man from behind. 'As soon I reached him from his back, I hit him in his head. I was shouting, "Motherfucker, piece of shit! Stop what you're doing!" Then I put my hand around his neck and started shaking him.' Despite the gunman's size and strength, Al Ahmed managed to wrestle him to the ground and take his gun.

Background of a hero

Al Ahmed, 45, grew up in Nayrab, Syria, where his father was a strict police officer. As the eldest of seven, he worked from a young age helping support the family, sometimes sleeping outdoors on cold mountainsides guarding sheep from wolves. He later worked as a laborer hauling building materials and in an oil factory while studying.

At 18, Al Ahmed began mandatory military service in the Syrian police, where he described brutal treatment including humiliation, sleep deprivation, and beatings. His superiors offered him better treatment if he turned on fellow cadets, but he refused and was put in solitary confinement. This experience made him determined to escape Syria, which he did after completing his service.

Life in Australia

Arriving in Australia in 2006 after time in Dubai, Al Ahmed started as an apprentice carpenter before building his own construction company. At one point, he employed nearly 60 workers on major projects across Australia. After work injuries and the pandemic ended his business, he ran a convenience store before selling it in late 2025.

On the day of the attack, Al Ahmed had arranged to meet his cousin for coffee at Bondi beach. When they arrived, they saw what looked like a festival and approached it, discovering it was a Hanukah celebration. After being told they were welcome but still seeking coffee, they heard the first bullets as they walked away.

After disarming one gunman, Al Ahmed became the target of the second attacker hiding on a footbridge. 'I was trying to squeeze my body behind the tree,' he remembers. 'I felt something hit me, and as soon as the bullet hits my elbow ...' He was shot five times, with one bullet hitting his elbow and forcing his arm backward. Despite his injuries, he pressed his finger into the wound to stop bleeding as blood soaked his clothes.