A hero’s courage
Before confronting the gunman, Al-Ahmed warned his cousin of the danger:
“He said: ‘I’m going to die – please see my family and tell them that I went down to save people’s lives,’” Jozay Alkanj told The Sydney Morning Herald.
His cousin Mustafa al-Assad said Al-Ahmed couldn’t stand by: “When he saw this scene, people dying of gunfire, he told me, ‘I couldn’t bear this. God gave me strength. I believe I’m going to stop this person killing people.’”
Al-Ahmed’s father, Muhammad Fateh al-Ahmed, highlighted his son’s lifelong instinct to protect others: “My son is a hero. He served with the police and in the central security forces, and he has the impulse to protect people.”
His mother, Malakeh Hasan al-Ahmed, was overwhelmed upon realizing her son was the man in the viral video:
“I’m proud that my son was helping people. He saved lives, souls. God would not harm him because he was a do-gooder,” she said.
“He saw they were dying and people were losing their lives, and when that guy ran out of ammo, he took it from him, but he was hit. We pray that God saves him.”
Al-Ahmed moved to Australia over a decade ago on a student visa and was granted citizenship in 2022. He now runs a tobacconist and convenience store in Sutherland and is known locally as a devoted family man.
Despite the horror, Al-Ahmed’s bravery has inspired millions. “When he did what he did, he wasn’t thinking about the background of the people he’s saving,” his father said. “He doesn’t discriminate between one nationality and another. Especially here in Australia, there’s no difference between one citizen and another.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also praised those who ran toward danger: “Australians who ran towards danger in order to help others are heroes.”
NSW Premier Chris Minns called Al-Ahmed a “genuine hero” who undoubtedly saved lives, while US President Donald Trump added:
“In Australia, as you’ve probably read, there’s been a very, very brave person who went and attacked frontally one of the shooters. He saved a lot of lives, a very brave person who is right now in the hospital, pretty seriously wounded. I have great respect for the man who did that.”
Al-Ahmed’s GoFundMe campaign has now raised over $2 million, including a $100,000 donation from billionaire Bill Ackman. The funds will support his recovery and help care for his young daughters, aged six and seven, as their father fights to heal.
The Hanukkah by the Sea tragedy on December 14 in Sydney claimed the lives of fifteen innocent people, including a 10-year-old girl. Authorities have described it as the deadliest attack in Australia since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, leaving a nation in mourning.
The surviving suspected terrorist, 24-year-old shooter Naveed Akram, has now awakened from a coma after being shot by police. NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon has confirmed that Akram will face charges once he is medically cleared.
