Syrian-Australian shop owner Ahmed al Ahmed tackled a gunman during a Dec. 14 antisemitic attack in Sydney, saving lives despite being shot five times.

Ahmed al Ahmed, a Syrian-Australian Muslim shop owner, spoke publicly about his role in stopping one of two attackers during a December 14 antisemitic terror attack at a Hanukkah celebration in Bondi Beach, Sydney. He described tackling one gunman despite being shot five times, driven solely by a desire to protect innocent lives. His actions, captured on video, earned global acclaim, leading to a $2.5 million GoFundMe donation from over 44,000 contributors and honors from Australian leaders, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who announced a special honours list to recognize attack heroes.