\u2014 Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) December 16, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Chalk writing has also been drawn on the footpath in front of his tobacco shop, \u201cThank you, we all love you xx\u201d it says.<\/p>\n Al Ahmed owns Cigara, a tobacco shop in the Sydney suburb of Sutherland, and has been lauded as a hero for taking down one of the shooters who allegedly committed the massacre at Bondi Beach at the weekend.<\/p>\n Footage captures Al Ahmed lunging at the gunman, disarming him after he runs out of ammunition.<\/p>\n Surrounding shop owners have described him as a kind person and generous tipper.<\/p>\n \u201cHe has always been a lovely person, he supports local businesses … he\u2019s a good human,\u201d Alex Murfet, 35, a barista from a nearby coffee shop told NewsWire.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the little things you would see day by day. Always kind to our staff.\u201d<\/p>\n Ahmed would go by the name Eddie in the coffee shop and would frequently visit, ordering a coffee and \u201calways\u201d leaving a generous tip for the Floral Street Espresso coffee staff.<\/p>\n \u201cHe always pays with cash, with far too much cash, and then tells us to keep the change,\u201d Murfet said.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was kind and nice to people, so you know, when I realised it was him, it didn\u2019t surprise me that he\u2019s gone and done something like that.\u201d<\/p>\n Ahmed Al Ahmed is likely to receive a bravery award from Governor-General Sam Mostyn.<\/p>\n \u201cIt would be staggering that he wouldn\u2019t be receiving some form of bravery award \u2026 I think he\u2019s been nominated many, many times already and in the context of what we saw, of course he is a brave man who has done something truly heroic,\u201d Mostyn said.<\/p>\n She said she spoke to King Charles overnight and he asked her to send thanks to Ahmed Al Ahmed for his \u201cabsolute heroics\u201d.<\/p>\n Cook MP Simon Kennedy has also praised Al Ahmed for \u201csingle-handedly disarming a terrorist massacring innocent Jewish Australians\u201d.<\/p>\n Kennedy said he had nominated Al Ahmed for Australia\u2019s highest bravery award, the Cross of Valour.<\/p>\n \u201cAhmed we wish you well, you are a national hero,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Shop keeper breaks silence from hospital<\/p>\n Speaking for the first time from his hospital bed, Al Ahmed said he \u201cappreciated the efforts of everyone\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cMay Allah reward you and grant wellbeing,\u201d he said in Arabic.<\/p>\n The video was uploaded to social media and was translated by Turkish news agency TRT World.<\/p>\n \u201cThrough Allah, I went through a very difficult phase, only Allah knows it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI ask my mother, the apple of my eye, to pray for me. Pray for me, my mother.<\/p>\n \u201cGod willing, it will be a minor injury.<\/p>\n \u201cPray for me that Allah eases our situation, and deliver us from this hardship.\u201d<\/p>\n Al Ahmed is speaking while being wheeled away, with a nurse appearing to guide his movements while he is being filmed.<\/p>\n Despite being injured himself and requiring hospitalisation, Al Ahmed earlier said he did not regret what he did.<\/p>\n His migration lawyer Sam Issa, speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, said the pain had \u201cstarted to take a toll on him\u201d while revealing he feared Al Ahmed may lose his arm.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s not well at all. He\u2019s riddled with bullets. Our hero is struggling at the moment,\u201d Issa told the publication.<\/p>\n Issa said Al Ahmed sustained about five bullet wounds across his left arm \u2013 one plunging into the back of his left shoulder blade.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a lot worse than expected. When you think of a bullet in the arm, you don\u2019t think of serious injuries, but he has lost a lot of blood,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cAhmed\u2019s a humble man, he\u2019s not interested in coverage, he just did what he was compelled to do as a human being on that day.<\/p>\n \u201cHe gets that gratitude from being in Australia. This is his way of conveying his gratitude for staying in Australia, for being granted citizenship.\u201d<\/p>\n Tonight, leaders from across faiths are mourning Jewish Australians killed affirming their faith.<\/p>\n Everyone deserves to feel safe in Australia, no matter who they worship.<\/p>\n We will not be divided. <\/p>\n We will come through this together. pic.twitter.com\/MkjFig1bIh<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) December 17, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Al Ahmed was earlier named as a fruit seller from the Sutherland Shire despite owning and operating his own tobacconist and specialist convenience store since 2021.<\/p>\n Sutherland Best Fresh issued a statement through their Facebook page on Monday to settle the record.<\/p>\n \u201cSo sad to see this tragedy happen this afternoon in Bondi,\u201d the store wrote on Facebook.<\/p>\n \u201cThere has been a miscommunication \u2026 on where this great Australian hero\u2019s fruit shop location is.<\/p>\n \u201cWe do not know who Ahmed is, nor the location of his fruit shop.<\/p>\n \u201cWe congratulate this hero and wish him a speedy recovery. Praying for those who have been affected.\u201d<\/p>\n Prime Minister meets Al Ahmed<\/p>\n Anthony Albanese visited Al Ahmed at St George Hospital in Sydney on Tuesday.<\/p>\n The Prime Minister spent about half an hour with Al Ahmed before leaving the hospital and sharing his thoughts with the media pack waiting outside.<\/p>\n He described Al Ahmed as a \u201ctrue Australian hero\u201d and said meeting him was a \u201cgreat honour\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cHe went through his thought processes as he saw the atrocities unfold,\u201d Albanese said.<\/p>\n \u201cHe had gone to Bondi with friends and relatives, he was trying to get a cup of coffee, simple as that and found himself at a moment where people were being shot in front of him.<\/p>\n \u201cHe decided to take action and his bravery is an inspiration for all Australians. He is a very humble man.\u201d<\/p>\n Albanese revealed he also met with Al Ahmed\u2019s parents, who were visiting from Syria, and said they were \u201cvery proud parents\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cAt a moment where we have seen evil perpetrated, he shines out as an example of the strength of humanity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are a brave country. Ahmed represents the best of our country. We will not allow this country to be divided. That is what the terrorists seek. We will unite, we will embrace each other and we will get through this.\u201d<\/p>\n A reel posted to Albanese\u2019s social media revealed he told Al Ahmed: \u201c[You\u2019re] very strong. Your heart is very strong. Your courage, it\u2019s inspiring.\u201d To which, the man, dubbed affectionately as the Bondi Hero, said: \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n Bondi hero fundraiser hits $2.3m<\/p>\n Thousands of well-wishers have saluted Al Ahmed\u2019s bravery by donating A$2 million ($2.3m) to a fundraiser created to support him and his family.<\/p>\n At the time of writing, more than 25,000 people had contributed to the fundraiser, including a donation from American-Jewish hedge fund manager Bill Ackman.<\/p>\n Ackman, whose net worth sits at about US$9.5 billion ($16.5b), donated A$99,999 after urging a verified platform to set up a fundraiser to support the hero and his family.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter witnessing the extraordinary actions of the hero who helped disarm one of the attackers during the Bondi tragedy, an act that prevented the loss of countless more lives, we felt compelled to act,\u201d the GoFundMe description reads.<\/p>\n \u201cIn a moment of chaos and danger, he stepped forward without hesitation. His actions were selfless, instinctive, and undeniably heroic, taken without regard for his own safety. Early reports indicate he was shot twice in the process while protecting others.<\/p>\n \u201cThis GoFundMe has been created to show our gratitude and support for someone who demonstrated incredible courage when it mattered most.\u201d<\/p>\n NSW Premier\u2019s hospital visit<\/p>\n NSW Premier Chris Minns personally met with Al Ahmed during his recovery, posting a message to Instagram about his heroism.<\/p>\n \u201cAhmed is a real-life hero. Last night, his incredible bravery no doubt saved countless lives when he disarmed a terrorist at enormous personal risk,\u201d Minns wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was an honour to spend time with him just now and to pass on the thanks of people across NSW.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is no doubt that more lives would have been lost if not for Ahmed\u2019s selfless courage.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Ahmed.\u201d<\/p>\n Speaking to the ABC earlier in the day, Al Ahmed\u2019s father Mohamed Fateh Al Ahmed spoke of their son\u2019s move to Australia in 2006 and why he was in Bondi in the first place on the day of the massacre.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened is: his friend told him, \u2018Let\u2019s go have coffee at Bondi\u2019,\u201d Al Ahmed\u2019s father told the broadcaster.<\/p>\n \u201cThey got there and were shocked to see armed men firing their weapons.<\/p>\n \u201cTheir lives were in danger. He noticed one of the armed men at a distance.\u201d<\/p>\n Al Ahmed lauded his son as a \u201chero\u201d who had the impulse to protect people.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen he saw people laying on the ground and the blood everywhere, immediately his conscience and his soul compelled him to pounce on one of the terrorists and rid him of his weapon,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel pride and honour, because my son is a hero of Australia.\u201d<\/p>\n Malakeh Hasan Al Ahmed, Al Ahmed\u2019s mother, said her son saved lives on that fateful day.<\/p>\n She told the ABC her son noticed one of the shooters had run out of ammunition when he pounced on him.<\/p>\n \u201cBut he was hit,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe pray that God saves him.\u201d<\/p>\n Sign up to Herald Premium Editor\u2019s Picks<\/a>, delivered straight to your inbox every Friday. Editor-in-Chief Murray Kirkness picks the week\u2019s best features, interviews and investigations. Sign up for Herald Premium here<\/a>.<\/p>\nThe Bondi Beach attack has led to members of the public leaving flowers and messages at the scene of the tragedy. Photo \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n
NSW Premier Chris Minns. Photo \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n