The hero who sneaked up behind an armed suspect and wrestled away his rifle during a beach shooting in Sydney, Australia, has been identified as a 43-year-old fruit shop owner.
According to Australia's Seven News and BBC on Wednesday (local time), the man in the viral video has been confirmed as Ahmed Al Ahmed, a fruit shop owner in Sydney.
Video footage captured the previous evening and circulated online shows Ahmed watching from behind a vehicle as the gunman fired a rifle under a large tree, before rushing forward to tackle him. Ahmed then wrapped his arm around the gunman's neck from behind and, after a struggle, successfully seized the weapon. The startled gunman fell backward and, watching Ahmed point the seized rifle at him, retreated toward a pedestrian bridge where an accomplice was waiting.
Once the gunman fled, Ahmed lowered the weapon and raised his hands, waving them in the air. This appeared to be an attempt to signal to approaching police officers that he was not the shooter. According to Australian media, Ahmed is a father of two who runs a fruit shop locally. Based on his name, he is believed to be of Arab or Middle Eastern descent.
His family said Ahmed was shot once in the arm and once in the hand and is recovering after being transported to hospital for surgery. Ahmed's cousin Mustafa told Seven News, "Ahmed is still in the hospital and we don't know exactly what's going on, but the doctors said he's okay. He's a hero."
Australian politicians rushed to pay tribute to the brave act. Before Ahmed's identity was revealed, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said at a briefing the previous day, "This person is a true hero. There is no doubt that many people are alive tonight as a result of this person's brave actions."
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also said, "Many Australians saw people running into danger to save others. These people are heroes, and their bravery saved lives."
