Australian PM Hails Bondi Beach Shooting Hero During Hospital Visit
Reporter
December 16, 2025 | 05:56 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Ahmed Al Ahmed at St. George Hospital in south Sydney on Tuesday, where he is receiving treatment after being wounded during the deadly shooting at Bondi Beach.
Ahmed has been widely praised as a hero for confronting and disarming one of the attackers during the incident.
Speaking to reporters after the visit, Albanese said it was an honor to meet Ahmed. “He is a true Australian hero. He is very humble and calmly described his thought process as he witnessed the atrocity unfold,” Albanese said.
“He made a decision to act, and his bravery is an inspiration to all Australians,” the prime minister added. Albanese also met with the parents of a shop owner affected by the attack, who were visiting from Syria. “They are proud parents,” he said, as quoted by ABC.
In a post on social media platform X, Albanese again praised Ahmed’s courage. “Ahmed, you are an Australian hero. You put yourself at risk to save others,” he wrote, as reported by Anadolu.
“In the worst of times, we see the best of Australians, and that’s exactly what we saw on Sunday night. On behalf of every Australian, I say thank you.”
Addressing reporters after the hospital visit, Albanese stressed that Australia would not allow the attack to divide the nation.
“This is what terrorists seek, but we will not allow our country to be divided,” he said. “We will unite, we will embrace each other, and we will get through this.”
Albanese also met members of Ahmed’s family, including his parents, Mohamed Fateh Al Ahmed and Malakeh, who recently arrived in Australia from Syria.
“I thanked him (Ahmed) for the lives that he helped to save, and I wished him all the very best with his surgery that he will undertake tomorrow,” Albanese said. He also expressed his appreciation to the medical staff at St. George Hospital for their care and support.
Ahmed, 43, moved to Australia in 2006 and is the father of two daughters. During the attack, he ran toward one of the gunmen, disarmed him, and forced him to surrender. Ahmed was shot several times and sustained injuries to his arm and shoulder.
The attack occurred on Sunday night along Bondi Beach in Sydney, when two gunmen, identified as father and son Sajid Vikram, 50, and Naveed Vikram, 20, opened fire. Fifteen people were killed and 42 others were injured and taken to hospitals for treatment.
One of the attackers died, while the other remains in critical condition. Police have declared the incident an act of terrorism.
Albanese said he convened a national cabinet meeting on Monday to discuss Australia’s gun laws in the wake of the attack.
Measures under consideration include limiting the number and types of firearms individuals can own, reviewing whether gun ownership should require Australian citizenship, and accelerating the development of a National Firearms Registry.
Read: Ahmed Al Ahmed Hailed as Hero in Deadly Bondi Beach Shooting
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