Bystander appears to disarm suspected gunman in Australian terror attack
GRAPHIC FOOTAGE WARNING: At least 16 are dead, including one suspected attacker, after a terror attack at a Hanukkah event in Bondi Beach, Australia.
Harrowing footage from the Hanukkah shooting in Sydney, Australia, shows a bystander tackling and disarming one of the gunmen who opened fire and killed 16 people while injuring dozens more on Sunday.
The footage shows the bystander sneak up on the shooter as he is firing on victims off-screen. The man then tackled the shooter and wrenched the gun away from him. He then turned the weapon on the shooter, but did not fire.
The hero has been identified by Australian media as Ahmed al-Ahmad, 43. The man's cousin, Mustafa al-Ahmad, told Australia's News 7 that Ahmed was shot once in the arm and once in the shoulder. The injuries came when the second gunman fired on Ahmed after he tackled the first man.
"He's a hero. One hundred percent a hero. Once we saw on social media, he's one hundred percent a hero," Mustafa told the outlet.
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)
Ahmed is currently in surgery and is expected to make a full recovery, according to Australian media.
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 al-Ahmad 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 al-Ahmad 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.
MOSSAD–EUROPEAN INTELLIGENCE OPERATION LAUNCHES SWEEPING CRACKDOWN ON HAMAS GLOBAL TERROR NETWORK
Emergency workers transport a person on a stretcher at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
New South Wales police confirmed on Monday local time that Sunday's shooting killed at least 16 people, adding that 40 people remained hospitalized. One of the gunmen was killed, and the other remains in critical condition.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
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 has been identified.
Antisemitism Exposed
Fox News' Antisemitism Exposed" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world."
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.
