Bondi hero’s true job revealed after being named as a ‘fruit shop owner’

Further details about the 'humble' hero who courageously confronted one of the alleged gunmen during the horror incident at Bondi Beach have been reported.

Ahmed al Ahmed has been hailed for his bravery after video footage of his actions on Sunday (14 December) went viral.

The 43-year-old grappled a gun off of one of the armed attackers - Sajid Akram, 50, who was shot dead by police at the scene.

The gunman and his son, Naveed, 24, opened fire on Australia's iconic Bondi Beach yesterday, where members of the Jewish community had gathered to celebrate Hanukkah.

Naveed Akram remains in a critical condition in hospital.

Tragically, 15 people are confirmed to have been killed during the attack, with the youngest victim being just ten years old.

Mourners have been gathering to pay their respects to the victims of the Bondi Beach attack (Saeed KHAN / AFP via Getty Images)

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the devastating shooting - which is the worst in the country's history - is being treated as a terrorist incident.

"This is a targeted attack on Jewish Australians on the first day of Hanukkah - which should be a day of joy, a celebration of faith," he said.

"An act of evil antisemitism, terrorism, that has struck the heart of our nation."

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said Ahmed's actions 'saved countless lives', while praising the dad for putting himself at 'enormous personal risk'.

The Bondi hero's cousin has revealed that before charging towards the gunman, Ahmed said: "I'm going to die, please see my family and tell them that I went down to save people's lives."

Watch the video below:

During the struggle, Ahmed sustained multiple gun shot wounds to his arm, but he is expected to make a recovery from his injuries.

A GoFundMe established to help support him, which can be donated to here, recently passed $1 million and, at the time of writing, has amassed nearly $1.4 million in donations.

It has since been revealed that Syria-born Ahmed runs a Cigara tobacconist and specialist convenience store in the suburb of Sutherland in Sydney.

Reports previously suggested that he owned a fruit shop in the area, but it has since emerged that he in fact has been operating a store since 2021, the Daily Mail reports.

Ahmed is said to sell items such as gifts, toys, board games, leather bags, and mobile phones, as well as tobacco products.

Ahmed al Ahmed is recovering in hospital after bravely confronting one of the gunmen (X/@ChrisMinnsMP)

The Muslim business owner, who arrived in Australia in 2006, is the father of two daughters who are aged five and six.

According to his migration lawyer, Sam Issa, Ahmed's actions at Bondi Beach were 'his way of conveying his gratitude for staying in Australia, for being granted citizenship' in 2022, as he feels 'indebted' to the country.

Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, Issa said: "Ahmed’s a humble man, he’s not interested in coverage, he just did what he was compelled to do as a human being on that day.

"He gets that gratitude from being in Australia. He has really appreciated this community, and he felt that as a member of the community, he had to act that way and contribute."

His valiant actions were captured on video (X)

Issa said that despite being laid up in a hospital bed, Ahmed 'doesn't regret' intervening in the horror shooting.

The lawyer added: "He said he’d do it again. But 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."

Ahmed's father told the media that his son is in 'good spirits', saying: "He said he thanks God that he was able to do this, to help innocent people and to save people from these monsters, these killers.”