A fruit seller is praised as a hero after wrestling a gun from an attacker during a mass shooting in Sydney that killed 16 people
SYDNEY: Australians are hailing a “hero” whose daring struggle with a gunman led to the disarming of an attacker during the country’s worst mass shooting in years.
Footage emerged on social media of a man risking his life by grabbing one of the gunmen as he fired on people.
The man then wrestled the gun out of the attacker’s hand before pointing the weapon at the assailant, who backed away.
Local outlet 7News identified him as 43-year-old fruit seller Ahmed al Ahmed and reported he had suffered two gunshot wounds.
The outlet spoke to a man called Mustapha, who said he was Ahmed’s cousin.
“He’s in hospital and we don’t know exactly what’s going on inside,” he said.
“We do hope he will be fine. He’s a hero 100%.”
The startling footage has gone viral, with Ahmed feted online for his bravery and lifesaving quick thinking.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hailed him and others as “heroes”, as did Premier Chris Minns of New South Wales.
“In all of this evil, in all of this sadness, there are still wonderful, brave Australians that are prepared to risk their lives to help a complete stranger,” Minns told a press briefing.
Authorities said the gunmen killed 16 people and wounded many more in what police described as a terrorist attack targeting the Jewish community.
US President Donald Trump offered his own praise and “great respect” for the man who disarmed a gunman.
“It’s been a very, very brave person, actually, who went and attacked frontally one of the shooters, and saved a lot of lives,” Trump said, adding the man “is right now in the hospital, pretty seriously wounded.” – AFP
