Fruit shop owner who tackled Bondi Beach gunman hailed a ‘genuine hero’

A fruit shop owner has been hailed a “genuine hero” for tackling one of the Bondi Beach attackers and grabbing his gun.

Ahmed al Ahmed, a father-of-two, has been named by relatives as the man fighting the terrorist in a video shared widely on social media.

His family said Mr Ahmed, from the Sutherland area of Sydney, remains in hospital where he has undergone surgery for bullet wounds to his arm and hand.

The 43-year-old is seen in the footage, wearing a white T-shirt and crouching behind a car before pouncing on the back of the gunman then grappling with him and snatching the rifle away from him.

The gunman backs away in a car park area as Mr Ahmed points the shotgun at him.

Mr Ahmed is then seen raising his hand before resting the gun against a tree apparently to show to police that he was not one of the attackers.

His cousin Mustafa told 7News Australia: “Still he is in hospital and we don’t know exactly what is going on, the doctor says he is OK.

“We hope he is OK, he is a hero, 100% he is a hero.

“He has two shots, one in his arm and one in his hand, he has had to have an operation.”

New South Wales premier Chris Minns described Mr Ahmed as a “genuine hero”, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: “We have seen Australians today run towards danger in order to help others.

“These Australians are heroes, and their bravery has saved lives.”

At least 12 people have died, including a British-born rabbi, after the mass shooting took place.

A total of 29 people were injured, including two police officers, in the attack, which targeted a Jewish celebration called Chanukah by the Sea, which marks the start of Hanukkah, an eight-day festival of light.

Among the victims was London-born rabbi Eli Schlanger, a father of five.

Mr Schlanger, 41, an assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi, a Jewish cultural centre, grew up in Temple Fortune, north London, and had family members of Kinloss synagogue in Finchley, according to Jewish News.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called it “an act of evil, antisemitism, terrorism”.