A 27-year-old man, Ebro Ahmed, is being praised after risking his life to stop a moving school bus carrying 18 children in St. Paul, Minnesota, on October 19, 2026. Ahmed was outside his family’s convenience store in the Dayton’s Bluff neighbourhood when he noticed the bus rolling past with its doors open and the driver apparently experiencing a medical emergency. Surveillance footage captured Ahmed sprinting after the vehicle and jumping aboard.

Despite having no experience driving a school bus, Ahmed managed to bring the vehicle to a halt by shifting it into neutral and pulling the parking brake. He initially shifted into reverse by mistake but quickly corrected himself. Some children were screaming, while others prepared to call emergency services. Ahmed also asked two girls seated near the front to hold his phone and glasses as he acted.

All 18 children escaped without injuries. Saint Paul Public Schools confirmed the medical emergency, and paramedics responded to the scene. The students were transferred to another bus to continue their journey home, while school staff checked on their emotional wellbeing. The driver was hospitalised and later released to recover at home, according to local reports.

Speaking to ABC News, Ahmed said he acted because he felt it was his duty to protect the children, adding that he would have considered the risk worthwhile even if it cost him his life. He also credited the television medical drama Grey’s Anatomy with helping him remember the importance of remaining calm during emergencies. His intervention has since drawn widespread praise.

Ahmed’s actions are a reminder that courage and compassion transcend ethnicity, religion and background. At a time when Somali communities in the United States can face negative stereotypes and hostile public discourse, his story highlights an individual whose quick thinking helped prevent a potentially devastating accident. His actions deserve recognition for what they were: a stranger stepping forward to protect children when they needed help most.