Parents of man who tackled Bondi Beach terrorist hail 'hero of Australia'

The parents of a fruit shop owner who tackled one of the Bondi Beach terrorists have described him as a “hero of Australia”.

Ahmed al Ahmed, 43, is seen fighting a gunman in a video shared widely on social media shortly after the attack during a Jewish Hanukkah celebration on Sunday.

Australian police said a 54-year-old man and his 24-year-old son, named in local media as Sajid and Naveed Akram, were behind the shooting on Sunday, in which 15 people were killed, including a 10-year-old girl and a British-born rabbi.

Sajid Akram was shot by police and died at the scene but Naveed Akram, who was wounded, is expected to survive his injuries and face criminal charges.

As of late Monday afternoon local time, 27 people were receiving care in hospitals across Sydney, NSW Health said.

Six people are in a critical condition, the others are in serious and stable conditions. Police believe the ages of the dead range from 10 to 87.

Two police officers who were injured in the attack are in serious but stable conditions.

Mr Ahmed’s father, Mohamed Fateh al Ahmed, told ABC Australia his son has an “impulse to protect people”, having previously served with the police.

Speaking through a translator, he told the broadcaster: “His friend told him, ‘Let’s go have coffee at Bondi’.

“They got there and were shocked to see armed men firing weapons at terrorists.

“Their lives were in danger. He noticed one of the armed men in a distance from him, hiding behind a tree.

“My son is a hero, he served with the police and in the central security forces, and he has the impulse to protect people.

“When 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 to rid him of his weapon.

“I feel pride and honour, because my son is a hero of Australia.”

Mr Ahmed is in hospital with bullet wounds to his arm and hand, but was in “good spirits”, his family previously said.

His mother, Malakeh Hasan al Ahmed, said she was proud of her son, describing him as a “do-gooder”.

She told ABC Australia through a translator: “I’m proud that my son was helping people. He saved lives, souls. God would not harm him because he was a do-gooder.

“He saw they were dying and people were losing their lives, and when that guy ran out of ammo, he took it from him, but he was hit.

“We pray that God saves him.”

NSW premier Chris Minns said his government would pursue prospective gun reform in the wake of the incident, after it was disclosed the 50-year-old gunman belonged to a gun club and legally possessed six firearms.

His sentiments were echoed by Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese, who proposed implementing tougher measures nationwide, including limiting the number of guns a licensed owner can obtain.

Mr Minns said a memorial had been set up at the end of the Bondi Pavilion near the beach. People have been placing flowers there.

The attackers, armed with what police described as “long guns”, opened fire on more than 1,000 people attending a Jewish festival in the Archer Park area of the popular beach at 6.47pm local time on Sunday.

The attack has been declared a terrorist incident targeting a celebration in Sydney on the first day of Hanukkah. Hanukkah, also known as Chanukah, is an eight-day Jewish festival of lights, usually observed in December.

The youngest victim has been named as 10-year-old Matilda, whose full name was not released. The Harmony Russian School of Sydney said on social media her “memory will remain in our hearts”.

Police earlier said two “active” explosive devices were taken away by a bomb disposal unit and “rendered safe”, while properties in the Campsie and Bonnyrigg areas of the city had been searched.

A third explosive device was found at the Bondi scene on Monday and taken for forensic investigation, police said.

New South Wales state police commissioner Mal Lanyon said reports that a black Isis flag was draped over the attacker’s car “would form part of the investigation”.

He also said one of the offenders had been known to authorities but there had been no “specific threat” and police were confident there was not a third person involved in the attack.