Man Who Tackled, Disarmed Bondi Beach Gunman Recounts Heroic Takedown

Ahmed al Ahmed, who heroically tackled and disarmed one of the attackers in the Bondi Beach massacre earlier this month, speaks in his first interview since the deadly attack in Australia.

One Interview with CBS NewsAl-Ahmed, a Syrian-Australian shop owner and Muslim father of two, said people screamed for help when two gunmen opened fire on Jewish people in a targeted attack during a Hanukkah celebration on the beach.

“My soul and everything in my organs, in my body, in my brain, wanted me to go save innocent lives,” Al Ahmed told CBS Mornings.

The conflict left 15 people dead, including a 10-year-old boy and a Holocaust survivor, and dozens injured.

One of the suspects, Sajid Akram, was killed by the police. The other suspect, his son Naveed Akram, is accused of murder and terrorism.

In the video spread on the internet showing Al Ahmed’s action, it is seen that he crawled towards the old Akram from behind the parked cars, then struggled with him and after the struggle, he pulled the gun from his hand. Al Ahmed himself was shot multiple times. He has since been released from the hospital but said he lost the ability to use his left hand.

Al-Ahmad said he was “not worried about anything” other than taking the gun from Akram and preventing him from killing more people.

Stating that he knew he saved many people but “felt sorry for the losses”, al-Ahmed said, “I jumped on his back, hit him… I held him with my right hand, ‘Put down your gun, stop doing what you are doing’.”

He gave the following message to the world: “Stop terrorism, stop hatred.”

“Feel and rejoice with all humanity; no matter what religion, we are human beings,” he said.