A man who disarmed a gunman during a deadly attack at Australia’s famous Bondi Beach on Sunday has been hailed as a “genuine hero” by New South Wales Premier Chris Minns.
Officials have declared the shooting a terrorist act and said the attack, which killed at least 11 people, was “designed to target” Jewish people. An event marking the first night of Hanukkah was underway at Bondi Beach at the time of the attack.
Dramatic video verified by NBC News appears to show multiple shooters and the moment that a man holding a gun is disarmed by another individual.
In the footage, a man in a white T-shirt crouches behind a parked car before rushing one of the alleged shooters from behind. After a brief struggle, he wrestles the weapon away. The shooter then backs away before the man places the weapon beside a palm tree.
The video appears to show a shoot-out continuing moments later, as a second gunman standing on a bridge fires repeatedly toward people attempting to intervene.
The man who intervened has been hospitalized with two gunshot wounds according to his cousin, Mustafa, who spoke to Australia's 7NEWS. Mustafa identified him as Ahmed al Ahmed.
“He’s a hero,” Mustafa said. “One hundred percent he’s a hero.”
Minns also praised al Ahmed, calling him a "genuine hero."
"I’ve got no doubt there are many, many people alive tonight as a result of his bravery,” he said.
One man believed to be among the attackers was killed, New South Wales police said. A second alleged shooter is in a critical condition.
Investigators tentatively identified one of the attackers as Naveed Akram, according to three senior law enforcement officials in the U.S. and Australia. Authorities have not said whether Akram is the gunman who was killed or the one who was injured.
More 1,000 people had gathered Sunday evening on Bondi Beach for an event to celebrate the start of Hanukkah.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the violence as an “act of evil antisemitism,” vowing that the country will eradicate “hate, violence and terrorism.”
“As prime minister, I say on behalf of all Australians to the Jewish community, ‘We stand with you,’” he told a press conference on Sunday, adding that a national security committee had been convened as a matter of urgency Sunday evening.
World leaders and other officials have also expressed condolences and condemnation.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said “antisemitism has no place in this world.”
“The United States strongly condemns the terrorist attack in Australia targeting a Jewish celebration,” he said in a post on X. “Our prayers are with the victims of this horrific attack, the Jewish community, and the people of Australia.”
French President Emmanuel Macron said France “extends its thoughts to the victims, the injured and their loved ones,” adding that the country would continue to fight antisemitic hatred “where it strikes.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the violence a “very cruel attack on Jews,” while United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the “heinous deadly attack.”
Bondi Beach is one of Australia’s most iconic beaches, with more than 2 million tourists visiting in 2024.
With 11 people confirmed dead, the attack at Bondi Beach becomes the deadliest shooting in Australia since the Port Arthur attack in 1996, when 35 people were killed and dozens more were injured.
In that attack, a lone gunman opened fire in the town on the island of Tasmania. The attack prompted the government to introduce some of the world’s strictest gun control measures, after which the number of gun attacks dropped drastically.
