This is the moment a second hero confronted the alleged Bondi Beach gunman and kicked his rifle away before being shot at by police and set upon by bystanders who mistook him for one of the shooters.
The deadly Bondi Beach terror attack killed at least 16 people on Sunday.
The dramatic footage shows a civilian sneaking onto a pedestrian bridge moments after gunmen opened fire on crowds gathered for a Hanukkah celebration near Bondi Beach.
As one of the attackers lay wounded on the ground, the man is seen sneaking up the stairs and kicking a rifle out of reach and backing away with his hands raised, shouting ‘don’t shoot,’ as police officers continued to engage the scene.
As shots ring out, he is seen ducking down for cover. As police approach him, he backs away with his hands still raised in the air.
In the chaos that followed, the man was briefly fired upon by police and then confronted by members of the public who mistakenly believed he was one of the attackers.
The other civilians can be seen in an altercation with him as he seemingly pleads with the police.
He was then put on the ground by officers, who tried to stop others from further attacking him.
In the chaos, the hero was set upon by members of the public who mistook him as the attacker
He can be seen with his hands in the air as he shouts ‘don’t shoot’
He was eventually pulled to safety as officers secured the bridge and the surrounding area.
The man has been identified by his lawyer as a Middle Eastern refugee who has lived in Australia for around a decade but remains on a temporary visa with no guaranteed path to permanent residency. He has an Australian wife and Australian children.
Alison Battisson, the immigration lawyer representing the hero said her client had only just arrived at Bondi Beach when he heard gunfire and ran toward it while others fled.
‘He got out of a taxi, heard the shooting, other people ran away and he ran towards the sound of the shooting,’ she said.
Despite the praise he has received, Battisson said her client’s immigration status remains unresolved.
‘He’s got an Australian partner and Australian children but he has no right to stay in Australia long term to be with them,’ she said.
‘It’s open to public opinion as to whether somebody who put himself in significant danger to help the Australian community has earned a right to stay in Australia.’
At least 16 people were killed in Sunday night’s mass shooting, including a ten-year-old girl, with dozens more left seriously injured.
The terrifying shooting unfolded as hundreds gathered to attend the Jewish Chanukah by the Sea event, marking the first day of Hanukkah.
Another hero, Ahmed el Ahmed, who wrestled a gun from one of the alleged attackers, is also recovering in the hospital. A GoFundMe page set up on his behalf has reached nearly $1million.
The Muslim man arrived in Sydney more than a decade ago from Syria. He is the father of two daughters aged five and six.
Mr Ahmed’s mother has said she couldn’t stop crying when she found out her son was the hero who had saved countless lives at Bondi Beach.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns said the heroism provided some hope in a time of darkness.
New South Wales premier, Chris Minns was seen visiting another heroic man at the hospital
‘We have seen Australians today run towards danger in order to help others. These Australians are heroes and their bravery has saved lives,’ Albanese told reporters.
Minns said Mr Ahmed was a ‘genuine hero’ at a press conference late on Sunday, adding there was ‘no doubt’ he saved many lives.
One of the attackers was shot dead by police at the scene. The second was critically wounded and taken into custody.
Authorities later confirmed improvised explosive devices were found in the attackers’ vehicle and safely removed by bomb disposal teams.
The attack has been classified by Australian authorities as a terrorist incident, with investigators treating it as a targeted antisemitic assault.
Albanese has vowed to introduce harsher gun control laws. Australia already has one of the strictest restrictions in the world.
The alleged gunmen are said to have lived in Bonnyrigg, in New South Wales, around an hour’s drive from Bondi Beach.
The pair were there until a few weeks ago when they moved into an Airbnb in Campsie, which is closer to Bondi Beach.
A screengrab shows Mr Ahmed after he wrestled the gun from the alleged attackers hands and turned it on him
A 10-year-old girl identified as Matilda were among those killed during the attack
A British-born rabbi also lost his life in the attack
According to local media, police raided their home, and three people were arrested. Those three were subsequently released.
Senior officials in the investigation told the ABC that two IS flags were found in the suspected gunmen’s car at the beach, although New South Wales police said they could not confirm the report.
It has been said that one of the alleged shooters, Naveed Akram, had been previously investigated over his close affiliation with an IS terrorism cell in Sydney.
According to Australia’s leader, he first appeared on cops’ radar in October 2019, however, ‘an assessment was made that there was no indication of any ongoing threat or threat of him engaging in violence’.