WHAT WAS CLAIMED
A man who disarmed a gunman in the Bondi Beach terror attack is named Edward Crabtree.
OUR VERDICT
False. The man's name is Ahmed Al Ahmed.
AAP FACTCHECK - The man who disarmed a terrorist gunman in Bondi has been identified as 43-year-old Ahmed Al Ahmed, despite claims online that his name is Edward Crabtree.
The false name originates from an article published on a website created on the day of the terrorist attack.
At least 15 people were killed in the Bondi Beach shooting on December 14, including a child, and dozens more have been hospitalised.
Hundreds of people had gathered at a waterfront park to celebrate the first day of Hanukkah when a father and son opened fire in an attack authorities say was designed to target the Jewish community.
Footage shared widely on social media captures a moment when a bystander intervenes to stop one of the gunmen.
It shows one of the gunmen, dressed in a black shirt and white pants, standing on a footpath near a bin as he fires across a park.
A man can be seen hiding behind a parked car. He leaps out and tackles the gunman from behind.
He manages to wrestle the firearm from the attacker, pointing it at him as he backs away.
The bystander was later identified as Ahmed Al Ahmed by multiple news outlets.
His cousin Mustafa told the Sydney Morning Herald that he sustained bullet wounds to his upper arm and hand.
Other photos and videos shared online show Mr Ahmed seated on the grass as people tend to an injury near his shoulder.
Social media posts have falsely identified him as Edward Crabtree.
"This hero is actually named Edward Crabtree* not Ahmed," one Facebook post states.
"He is a lifelong citizen of Australia who responded faster to the terrorist attack in Bondi than the authorities…"
Another post makes the same claim, alongside a screenshot of an article with the headline: "'I Just Acted': Bondi Local Edward Crabtree Disarms Gunman in Terrifying Attack".
The screenshot is of an article published on a website called The Daily and includes the byline of a supposed reporter called Rebecca Chen.
"When Edward Crabtree left his Bondi apartment on Saturday afternoon for his usual weekend walk along the beachfront, he had no idea he would soon be facing down an armed terrorist," the article says.
"Within minutes, the 43-year-old IT professional would make a split-second decision that authorities say prevented what could have been one of Australia's deadliest attacks.
"'I didn't think about it. I just acted,' Crabtree told The Daily in an exclusive interview from his hospital bed, where he is being treated for gunshot wounds to his left shoulder and arm."
These details are false.
In addition to the fake name, the article includes numerous other fabrications, including that Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited him in hospital and applauded his heroism.
"'What Edward Crabtree did represents the very best of the Australian character," the article quotes the prime minister as saying.
It also incorrectly states the attack began at 2:47pm on Saturday when it started at 6:40pm on Sunday, according to a NSW police statement.
After removing the gun "Mr Crabtree" pinned the man to the ground until other bystanders rushed in to help restrain him, the article claims.
However, video of the incident clearly shows Mr Ahmed pointing the gun at the shooter, who falls to the ground and then walks away towards a pedestrian bridge where the other gunman was located.
A search of the website's domain information shows that it was registered on the day of the attack, December 14, to an address in Iceland.
Many of the links on the website do not work and all of the other news stories link to the same page about a supposed new mandatory global carbon emissions target.
Mr Ahmed arrived in Sydney more than a decade ago from Syria and owns a tobacco shop, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
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