False Claims Circulate About Bondi Beach Hero’s Identity

In the wake of Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in years, a heroic bystander who wrestled a gun from one of the attackers has become a national symbol of courage, even as his identity became the target of deliberate misinformation campaigns online.

Ahmed al Ahmed, a 44-year-old fruit seller who emigrated from Syria to Australia in 2007, risked his life during the December 14 attack at Bondi Beach that left 15 people dead and dozens wounded. Dramatic footage captured the moment Ahmed confronted one of the gunmen, wrestling away the weapon despite suffering two gunshot wounds in the process.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese publicly praised Ahmed’s bravery. “Ahmed, you are an Australian hero. You put yourself at risk to save others, running towards danger on Bondi Beach and disarming a terrorist,” Albanese wrote on social media after meeting with him. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns similarly declared: “Ahmed is a real-life hero.”

Despite these official acknowledgments, false claims about Ahmed’s identity spread rapidly across social media platforms. Numerous posts incorrectly identified the hero as “Edward Crabtree,” described as a “43-year-old IT professional” from Sydney’s inner west. The misinformation triggered a wave of Islamophobic comments online.

The source of this false information was traced to a recently created website masquerading as a legitimate news outlet. An investigation revealed the site was registered on December 14 – the very day of the attack. The fake news site appeared designed to mimic Australian media outlet The Daily Aus, though with significant differences in layout and content.

Beyond the fabricated article about “Edward Crabtree,” the site contained only one other working article about global carbon emissions. Other links on the site led to nonexistent pages, further evidence of its illegitimate nature.

The attack itself was carried out by a father-son duo identified as 50-year-old Sajid Akram and 24-year-old Naveed Akram. Police shot and killed the elder Akram during the incident, while Naveed Akram was wounded and remained hospitalized under police guard. Authorities described the attack, which occurred during celebrations of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, as deliberately targeting Australia’s Jewish community.

Back in Ahmed’s hometown of Al-Nayrab in Syria, his actions have become a source of local pride. His uncle Mohammed told AFP: “His act is a source of pride for us and for Syria.” He explained that Ahmed had worked in construction after arriving in Australia before establishing his fruit and vegetable shop in Sydney. The uncle emphasized the purely altruistic nature of Ahmed’s intervention: “He is from Syria and he is a Muslim, and he had no motivation for doing this other than heroism and bravery.”

The spread of misinformation following the attack wasn’t limited to Ahmed’s identity. The AI chatbot Grok on the social media platform X also incorrectly named the hero as Edward Crabtree, highlighting the challenges of automated content generation during breaking news events.

This mass shooting represents Australia’s worst such incident in recent years, sending shockwaves through a country that implemented strict gun control laws following the 1996 Port Arthur massacre. The attack has prompted renewed discussions about community safety, terrorism prevention, and the rise of online misinformation during crisis events.

Australian authorities continue to investigate the attack’s planning and potential motivations, while communities across Sydney have organized vigils for the victims. Meanwhile, Ahmed’s actions serve as a powerful counterpoint to the day’s violence – a spontaneous act of courage that likely saved numerous lives.