‘My target was just to take the gun’: wounded hero Ahmed al-Ahmed speaks of saving lives at Bondi beach | Bondi beach terror attack
Ahmed al-Ahmad, who neutralized one of the Bondi attackers before being shot five times, says he knows his bravery saved many lives but feels sorry for those who died in the attack.
In an interview with CBS News, Ahmed said he was “not worried about anything” except the lives he could save when he disarmed Sajid Akram on December 14. The action was caught on camera and shared worldwide.
“My goal was just to take the gun away from him and prevent him from taking a human life, not killing innocent people,” he said.
“I know I’ve saved a lot, but I feel sad for what I’ve lost.”
Akram was shot and killed by police during an attack on a Hanukkah event in which 15 people died. His son Naveed Akram was injured by the police and was later charged with 59 offences.
Footage of the attack shows Ahmed jumping from the back of a parked car and tussling with Sajid Akram, whose gun fell to the ground during the fight. Ahmed grabbed the gun and pointed it at the gunman, who retreated to his son’s side on a nearby pedestrian bridge.
Ahmed described his struggle with the gunman to CBS: “I jumped on his back, hit him. I grabbed him with my right hand and started saying one word like warning him: ‘Drop your gun, stop doing what you’re doing’.”
“And I’m doing things emotionally, so I’m feeling things in my body, in my brain… I don’t want to see people being killed in front of me, I don’t want to hear the gunshot, I don’t want to see people screaming, begging, asking for help, and that’s what my soul is asking me to do.”
Ahmed, 44, was shot five times shortly after wrestling Akram. He is recovering from three rounds of surgery in a Sydney hospital, according to a member of the local Syrian-Australian community who visited him last week.
He also told CBS: “Everything in my heart, everything in my brain, everything worked to save people’s lives.”
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Ahmed, who owns a tobacco shop in Sydney’s south, was having coffee with his cousin when the shooting began.
Her actions were widely praised, with Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese visiting her in hospital and filming her, telling her: “Your heart is strong, your courage is inspiring.”
Last week, Lubaba Alhmidi AlKahil, media director for the Association of Australians for Syria, said Ahmed’s left arm was not expected to return to normal function for at least six months due to injury to his nerves.
The Sutherland store, where hundreds of people left notes and flowers in tribute, is unlikely to reopen anytime soon. AlKahil said he will instead rest, recover and spend time with his family.
“He needs to rest, he needs to spend time with his family, he has been away from his wife and daughters for a long time,” he said.
Family members kept an eye on Ahmed’s recovery and received visits from well-wishers and dignitaries.
“He said that many people from the government from different backgrounds, different religions, different ethnicities visited him and congratulated him,” AlKahil said. he said.
“He is very happy, he feels very peaceful.”
Visitors included New South Wales premier Chris Minns; Sam Mostyn, Governor General of Australia, who sent personal thanks from King Charles; and David Ossip, chairman of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies.
A fundraiser for Ahmed through GoFundMe raised $2.5 million.
