Man Who Kicked Shooter's Gun Away During Sydney Beach Attack Is A Refugee

An unarmed civilian's split-second courage helped prevent further bloodshed during the deadly shooting on Sydney's Bondi Beach. The man, who kicked a gun away from one of the shooters, is reportedly a Middle Eastern refugee who, despite living in Australia for nearly a decade, has no guaranteed pathway to permanent residency.

At least 15 people were killed in the attack, and police classified the shooting as a terrorist incident. They are treating it as a targeted antisemitic assault on people gathered for a Hanukkah celebration.

Footage shows the civilian making his way onto a pedestrian bridge near the scene moments after gunfire rang out. One of the attackers lay wounded on the ground. Moving carefully, the man kicked a rifle out of reach, then backed away with his hands raised, shouting, “don't shoot,” as police rushed in to secure the area.

6 minutes of unrelenting shooting at #bondibeach #bondi pic.twitter.com/NqoDcDn2F9

— sniffs_ (@sniffsonX) December 14, 2025

The alleged gunmen, Sajid Akram, 50, and son Naveed Akram, 24, recently moved into an Airbnb in Campsie, closer to Bondi Beach. Sajid was shot dead by police at the scene, while Naveed was critically wounded and taken into custody. Police later carried out raids, briefly detaining three people who were subsequently released.

The unarmed civilian was fired at by police and then attacked by bystanders who mistakenly believed he was one of the gunmen. The public punched him and forced him to defend himself before police pushed through the crowd, put him on the ground and stopped the attacks.

The man, identified by his lawyer as a Middle Eastern refugee, has lived in Australia for nearly 10 years. He has an Australian wife and Australian children but remains on a temporary visa with no assured pathway to permanent residency, according to The Australian.

Alison Battisson, the immigration lawyer representing him, said her client arrived at Bondi Beach when the shooting began. “He got out of a taxi, heard the shooting, other people ran away and he ran towards the sound of the shooting,” she said.

Battisson said her client comes from a country where military service is common, giving him an instinctive understanding of how shooters operate.

“He knew that the shooter would have to reload, so he gradually worked his way towards the bridge,” she said.

Battisson said her client's legal status remained 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.”

Another civilian, 43-year-old Ahmed el Ahmed, wrestled a gun from one of the alleged attackers. Ahmed, a Syrian-born fruit seller and father of two daughters aged five and six, was shot twice and remains in hospital recovering.