A gripping video has emerged from the Hanukkah shooting incident in Sydney, Australia, showcasing a courageous bystander who intervened to tackle and disarm one of the shooters on Sunday.
The dramatic footage captures the moment when the bystander stealthily approaches the gunman, who is actively firing at victims out of the camera’s view. With remarkable bravery, the bystander successfully tackles the assailant and seizes the firearm. In a tense moment, he briefly turns the weapon on the shooter but chooses not to pull the trigger.
Australian media have identified the brave bystander as 43-year-old Ahmed al-Ahmad. His cousin, Mustafa al-Ahmad, revealed to News 7 Australia that Ahmed sustained gunshot wounds to the arm and shoulder when a second gunman opened fire after Ahmed had subdued the first attacker.
“He’s nothing short of a hero. Absolutely a hero. Once we saw it on social media, it was clear—he’s a hero through and through,” Mustafa expressed to the news outlet.
Following the incident, emergency responders were seen transporting a wounded individual on a stretcher at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Sunday, December 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
Ahmed is currently undergoing surgery and is anticipated to make a full recovery, as reported by Australian media sources.
Praise and gratitude poured in for Ahmed on social media as the footage of his takedown spread.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the man as “brave” in a statement regarding the shooting. Netanyahu had initially stated that the man who intervened was a Jew, but that was before Ahmed was identified.
“We saw an action of a brave man–turns out a Muslim brave man, and I salute him–that stopped one of these terrorists from killing innocent Jews,” Netanyahu said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed Ahmad al-Ahmed for saving lives in Sunday’s shooting. (JACQUELYN MARTIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Chris Minns, the premier of Australia’s New South Wales state, also hailed Ahmed as a hero.
“That man is a genuine hero, and I’ve got no doubt that there are many, many people alive tonight as a result of his bravery,” Minns said in a statement.
Sunday’s shooting killed at least 11 people and hospitalized at least 28. One of the gunmen was killed and the other remains in critical condition.
Emergency workers transport a person on a stretcher after a reported shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
Australian authorities have confirmed the attack targeted the Jewish community, which was celebrating the first day of Hanukkah on Bondi Beach.
Neither of the shooters have been identified.
