St. Paul declares Ebro Ahmed Day to honor East Side man who stopped runaway school bus
Ebro Ahmed was outside his family's East Side business when he saw a school bus rolling through the neighborhood with an incapacitated driver. On Monday, St. Paul came together to thank him for what he did next.
St. Paul Public Schools Superintendent Stacie L. Stanley told Ahmed, 27, not only did he save 19 Battle Creek Middle School students, he helped preserve their futures.
"Each one of those 19 students has a destiny," Stanley said during a ceremony honoring Ahmed at Fire Station 7 on St. Paul's East Side. "They will be our next doctors. They will be our next firefighters. They will be our next police officers. They may be our next mayor, one of them. They may have my job. And you saved the destiny of 19 young people."
On Oct. 19, Ahmed was outside his family's business, Ya Bricks Snacks and Tobacco, in the Dayton's Bluff neighborhood when he noticed a school bus rolling through the area with its doors open and the driver experiencing a medical emergency. He ran alongside the moving bus, climbed aboard and managed to put it in neutral and engage the parking brake, bringing it to a stop. The driver was later released from the hospital.
Mayor Kaohly Her proclaimed Monday, Nov. 9, 2026, Ebro Ahmed Day in St. Paul. The ceremony brought together Ahmed's family, city officials, firefighters, school district leaders and other community members to recognize an act of courage that prevented what could have been a tragedy.
Dr. Stanley credited Ahmed not only for his physical agility in getting aboard the moving bus, but also for his ability to think clearly and keep the students calm.
"He had the mental agility to know to say to the students, 'Call 911,'" Stanley said. "That was so important, and then to maintain your calm and your focus so that you can keep them calm."
She also pointed to the role Ahmed's family's small business played in putting him in the right place at the right time.
"It also speaks to the power of small business in St. Paul, because without your small business that you're at, you wouldn't have been there to literally save their lives along with the bus driver's," Stanley said.
Council Member Cheniqua Johnson, who represents Ward 7, where the rescue happened, said Ahmed's response demonstrated what it means to step forward when a community needs help.
"Some people will stand by, and maybe not always know what to do in a time of crisis, and then we have leaders who step up to what the call is, even when they're not expected to be that way," Johnson said.
She noted that Ahmed, his family and the students aboard the bus are all connected to the East Side community. Johnson also said it was important to recognize Ahmed at a time when immigrant and Black families are facing increased attacks and scrutiny.
"It's important to make sure that we are not only highlighting our heroes, but we are shedding light on the good deeds of every Minnesotan, including Ebro and his family," she said.
The City Council's unanimous resolution recognizes Ahmed for his "extraordinary bravery, quick thinking and selfless actions" and describes him as an exemplary community member whose courage and compassion embody the best of St. Paul.
Jeramiah Melquist, the St. Paul Fire Department's assistant chief and fire chief nominee, presented Ahmed with the department's Heroism Award. Melquist said firefighters understand how quickly emergencies can unfold and how important it is for someone to act when others are in danger.
"You demonstrate that courage is not defined by uniform or title, but by a decision to help others when they need it most," Melquist said.
He praised Ahmed for recognizing the danger, running toward the moving bus and taking action to prevent a potentially tragic outcome.
A certificate from U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum also recognized Ahmed's actions, calling him a good Samaritan whose response made the East Side community safer.
Ahmed, who is Eritrean American, thanked his family, the community members who raised him and the organizations and officials who came together to recognize him. Asked how his Muslim faith informs his approach to helping others, Ahmed shared a teaching about the value of human life.
"In my religion, they say one life is the equivalent to the entire humanity," he said. "If you kill one person, it's like you kill everybody. And if you save one person, it's equivalent as if you saved the whole world."
Ahmed said he plans to visit Battle Creek Middle School on Wednesday to see the students again.
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