Bondi hero reveals what he told shooter in first interview since the attack
Ahmed al Ahmed has given his first interview since his heroics during the the Bondi Beach massacre which saw 15 people lose their lives.
The Syrian-Australian shop owner, 43, was hospitalised with gunshot wounds after he was filmed tackling and disarming one of the suspected gunman who opened fire during the Jewish Hanukkah celebration on 14 December.
Al Ahmed, who just happened to be in the area to have a coffee with a friend, was shot twice by the second assailant and has been recovering from five surgeries in hospital.
Australian police suspect two gunmen Naveed Akram, 24, and his father Sajid Akram, 50, were behind the shootings.
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Naveed has been charged with 59 offences, while Sajid was shot dead at the scene.
Three victims remain in critical condition and nine are still receiving treatment two weeks after the mass shooting.
In his first interview since the incident, al Ahmed told CBS News that he was solely focused on stopping the gunman in his tracks.
“My target was just to take the gun from him, and to stop him from killing a human being’s life and not killing innocent people,” he said.
“I know I saved lots, but I feel sorry for the lost.”
On what he said to the shooter, the father-of-two added: “I jumped in his back, hit him.
“I hold him with my right hand and start saying a word, you know, like to warn him, drop your gun, stop doing what you’re doing, and it’s come all in fast.
“And emotionally, I’m doing something, which is I feel something, a power in my body, my brain.
“I don’t want to see people killed in front of me, I don’t want to hear his gun, I don’t want to see people screaming and begging, asking for help.
“And that’s my soul asking me to do that.
“Everything in my heart, in my brain, everything, it’s worked just to manage to save the peoples’ life.”
Last week, al Ahmed received a cheque of over AU$2.5 million (£1.2 million) after more than 43,000 people contributed to a donation website.
In a video shared on social media, TikTokker Zachery Dereniowski is seen passing the cheque to Al Ahmed, who asks from his hospital bed: "I deserve it?"
To which the content creator replies 'every penny'.
"When I saved the people I [did it] from the heart because it was a nice day, everyone enjoying celebrating, with their kids, woman, man, teenager all, everyone was happy and they deserve, they deserve to enjoy," Al Ahmed said.
Topics: Australia, Crime, World News, News
Anish Vij