MxM News

Insane footage shows a bystander attacking and disarming one of the terrorists, who appears to have been armed with a long rifle, during today’s shooting attack on an event celebrating Hanukkah at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. pic.twitter.com/mJceco22bJ

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) December 14, 2025

The chaos that struck Australia on Sunday night produced one moment of astonishing courage: a Sydney shopkeeper, armed with nothing but instinct and grit, charged a gunman at Bondi Beach and wrestled the rifle out of his hands as terrified families ran for cover. Authorities say the act likely prevented even more deaths in what officials have already called an antisemitic terror attack that left 12 people dead and dozens wounded during a Hanukkah celebration along the water.

The hero has been identified as 43-year-old fruit shop owner Ahmed Al Ahmed, a father of two who happened to be nearby when gunfire erupted at the beachfront event “Hanukkah by the Sea,” which had drawn more than 200 people. Footage captured the moment he marched toward the shooter, grabbed hold of the rifle, and overpowered him in a brief, violent struggle. As the gunman hit the pavement, Al Ahmed momentarily pointed the weapon back at him but didn’t fire, instead placing it against a tree before another attacker opened up from a bridge above. He was hit in the hand and shoulder and is now recovering after emergency surgery.

A relative told Australia’s Channel Seven that Al Ahmed had never handled a gun in his life. “He’s a hero — he’s 100 percent a hero,” the family member said. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns echoed the praise, calling the scene “unbelievable,” adding, “A man walked up to someone who had just fired on the community and single-handedly disarmed him. Many people are alive tonight because of his bravery.”

Police say two shooters stepped out of a vehicle along Campbell Parade around 6:40 p.m. and began firing toward the beach. One gunman was killed, the other is in custody in critical condition. Detectives are also investigating whether a third attacker was involved, and bomb units swept the area after reports that an explosive device may have been planted beneath a pedestrian bridge. The toll is staggering: 12 dead, including one shooter, and at least 29 wounded — among them children and two police officers.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned what he called “a targeted attack on Jewish Australians on the first day of Hanukkah,” saying, “What should have been a night of joy and peace has been shattered by this horrifying evil attack.” Emergency crews flooded the beach as hundreds of panicked people sprinted away from the gunfire. Video shows one attacker firing down toward the sand from the bridge behind Bondi Park before being shot himself in a final standoff captured by drone footage. Both gunmen appeared to be carrying ammunition belts, with witnesses estimating up to 50 rounds were fired.

Australian police have cordoned off properties linked to the suspects and continue to canvass Bondi for additional threats. What remains clear is that Sunday’s attack was met with extraordinary acts of self-sacrifice, none more dramatic than a shopkeeper from Sutherland who walked into gunfire to stop further slaughter.

One of the suspected gunmen of the Bondi Beach massacre shooting in Australia has been identified as Naveed Akram

MxM News

What was supposed to be a peaceful Sunday evening celebration of Hanukkah on one of the world’s most famous beaches instead descended into chaos and bloodshed, as two attackers opened fire on crowds gathered at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, killing 12 people — including one of the gunmen — and injuring at least 11 others.

The violence erupted shortly after 5 p.m. local time, just as more than a thousand people were gathering for “Hanukkah by the Sea,” an annual event held near a playground at the Bondi foreshore. According to Australian outlets, the shooting began as families were lighting candles and singing, sending parents scrambling to shield children and worshippers diving for cover along the promenade.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns confirmed late Sunday that one attacker was killed at the scene and a second was arrested. He said the evidence already points unmistakably toward an anti-Jewish terror attack. “What should have been a night of peace and joy was shattered by a horrifying, evil attack,” Minns told reporters, noting investigators believe the plot was “designed to target Sydney’s Jewish community.”

NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said well over a thousand people were present when the shooting started, including two state police officers who were among those struck by gunfire, according to ABC News. Police also located what appeared to be an improvised explosive device in the vicinity shortly after the initial gunfire. Bomb technicians neutralized the device while officers locked down the area and urged residents to shelter in place.

Around 9 p.m., with ambulances and tactical units pouring in, authorities described the unfolding chaos as a “developing incident” and warned anyone nearby to stay indoors. Multiple victims were treated on the sand and the surrounding walkways before being rushed to hospitals across Sydney.

As investigators piece together the attackers’ movements and motive, officials say the toll could have been even worse given the size of the crowd and the presence of children throughout the event. What remains is a shaken city, a grieving Jewish community, and a country once again confronting the threat of political and religious extremism on its own soil.