The Syrian-born tobacconist is being hailed around the world for his life-saving bravery – but the man who disarmed a terrorist says the pain is starting to take its toll.

A horrifying shooting unfolded during a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach on December 14. Credit: James D. Morgan / Getty

Al-Ahmed moved to Australia more than a decade ago on a student visa and was granted citizenship in 2022. He now runs a tobacconist and convenience store in Sutherland and is known in his community as a dedicated family man.

In jaw-dropping footage shared on social media, he can be seen creeping behind parked cars along Campbell Parade before ambushing gunman Sajid Akram from behind, wrestling the rifle from his hands and pointing it at him.

He didn’t fire. Instead, he put the weapon down against a tree – just before a second bystander threw an object at the disarmed shooter.

Tragically, just moments later, Al-Ahmed was shot by the second alleged gunman – Akram’s 24-year-old son, Naveed – who was stationed on a nearby footbridge with a firearm in hand.

He remains in hospital in a coma and could face charges if he recovers.

Al-Ahmed’s Injuries Are Devastating

Al-Ahmed’s injuries are far more serious than originally reported. He was shot five times in the shoulder, arm, and hand and has undergone multiple surgeries.

According to his former migration lawyer, Sam Issa, doctors haven’t even removed one of the bullets lodged in his back.

“At this stage, he says he has no feeling in his arm,” Issa said, per the Daily Mail. “I’m no medical doctor, but he said to me that it seems like one of the bullets may have hit a nerve.

“The pain has started to take a toll on him. He’s not well at all. He’s riddled with bullets. Our hero is struggling at the moment,” Issa added.

There are growing fears that the hero could lose his arm due to nerve damage. Despite this, he shared a heartfelt message from his hospital bed.

“Through Allah, I went through a very difficult phase, only Allah knows it,” he told TRT World in Arabic. “I ask my mother, the apple of my eye, to pray for me. Pray for me, my mother. God willing, it will be a minor injury.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets Ahmed al-Ahmed in the hospital. Credit: Instagram

He Told His Cousin: “I’m Going To Die”

Before charging at the gunman, Al-Ahmed turned to his cousin with a chilling message.

“He said: ‘I’m going to die – please see my family and tell them that I went down to save people’s lives’,” Jozay Alkanj told The Sydney Morning Herald.

His other cousin, Mustafa al-Assad, said Al-Ahmed couldn’t stand by and do nothing: “When he saw this scene, people dying of gunfire, he told me, ‘I couldn’t bear this. God gave me strength. I believe I’m going to stop this person killing people.’”

That strength, his father says, comes from a lifetime of service. “My son is a hero. He served with the police and in the central security forces, and he has the impulse to protect people,” Muhammad Fateh al-Ahmed told reporters, per The Sun.

His mother, Malakeh Hasan al-Ahmed, was overwhelmed when she learned her son was the man in the now-famous video.

“I’m proud that my son was helping people. He saved lives, souls. God would not harm him because he was a do-gooder,” she said.

“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,” she continued. “We pray that God saves him.”

The atrocity took place on Bondi Beach. Credit: George Chan/Getty Images

Australia And The World Stand With Al-Ahmed

Fifteen innocent people were killed during the Hanukkah by the Sea event, which saw hundreds gather to mark the start of the Jewish celebration.

A 10-year-old girl was among the dead. Authorities called the massacre the worst since the 1996 Port Arthur shooting.

Despite the horror, Al-Ahmed’s actions have inspired millions. “When he did what he did, he wasn’t thinking about the background of the people he’s saving,” his father said.

“He doesn’t discriminate between one nationality and another. Especially here in Australia, there’s no difference between one citizen and another,” he added.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised Australians who “ran towards danger in order to help others,” calling them heroes.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said Al-Ahmed was a “genuine hero” who undoubtedly saved lives. “There are still wonderful, brave Australians that are prepared to risk their lives to help a complete stranger,” he said.

Even US President Donald Trump weighed in, telling reporters: “In Australia, as you’ve probably read, there’s been a very, very brave person who went and attacked frontally one of the shooters. He saved a lot of lives, a very brave person who is right now in the hospital, pretty seriously wounded. I have great respect for the man who did that.”

A GoFundMe campaign for Mr Al-Ahmed has now raised over $2 million, including a $100,000 donation from billionaire Bill Ackman.

The funds are intended to support his recovery and help his young daughters, aged six and seven, as their father fights to heal.