'Citizen Hero' Who Subdued Gunman Faces Trial for Assaulting Father

by Park Eunseo

Published 05 Jun.2026 18:13(KST)

Received About 2.7 Billion Won in Donations After Shooting

Denies Charges, Says "It's Just a Family Dispute"

The man who was hailed as a 'citizen hero' for subduing the gunman during the Sydney Bondi Beach shooting incident in Australia is set to stand trial on charges including assaulting his father.

Ahmed Al Ahmed, who stopped the Sydney shooting attack with his bare hands and was called a 'citizen hero.' Photo by AFP News Agency

According to Yonhap News on June 5, Australia’s public broadcaster ABC reported on June 4 (local time) that New South Wales (NSW) Police had issued a court attendance notice to Ahmed Al Ahmed (44) on charges including assault and stalking.

Ahmed is accused of assaulting his father at a residence in Bankstown, in southwestern Sydney, in March. Police also explained that he has been charged with attempting to instill fear of physical or psychological harm in the victim.

However, Ahmed denies the charges. In an interview with local media, he stated, "This is just a conflict between father and son," and insisted, "I am not a violent person." He added, "I have never hurt anyone or engaged in violent behavior," and explained, "Even during the Bondi incident, I only took away the firearm and never intended to hurt anyone."

Ahmed also commented that his family relationships have become complicated due to the large amount of donations that were collected to help him after the shooting incident.

On December 14 of last year, Ahmed wrestled with the gunman Sajid Akram and seized his weapon during the shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach. The incident resulted in 15 deaths, and Ahmed himself sustained multiple gunshot wounds and has been receiving treatment.

After the incident, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called him "Australia’s hero." An online fundraising campaign set up to support Ahmed raised 2.5 million Australian dollars (about 2.7 billion won).