What went through Bondi Beach hero's mind as he tackled a gunman?

3 days ago 39

Sydney — When Bondi Beach leader Ahmed al Ahmed ran consecutive toward 1 of the gunmen during the onslaught connected a Jewish assemblage gathering to people the archetypal time of Hanukkah, helium wasn't reasoning astir the hazard to his ain life. The Syrian-born Muslim, who gained his Australian citizenship conscionable 5 years ago, told CBS News successful an exclusive interrogation that his lone nonsubjective was to prevention guiltless lives.

Al Ahmed's singular bravery — charging astatine 1 of the 2 attackers during the Dec. 14 wide shooting and wrestling a weapon from him — rapidly earned him praise arsenic a hero. But it besides landed him successful a Sydney infirmary with aggregate gunshot wounds.

Not agelong aft helium was yet released from the hospital, helium told CBS News wherefore he, similar respective others who took enactment connected the day, some of whom were killed doing so, felt arsenic though helium simply had nary different option.

"I couldn't grip it, to perceive kids, and the women, and oldest, and men, screaming and asking for help," helium said.

He didn't spot anyone other trying to halt the massacre — which near 15 guiltless radical dormant successful what Australia's premier curate called an enactment of antisemitic terror — truthful helium looked for an opportunity, crouching down parked cars earlier tackling the gunman from behind.

"My psyche and each my everything successful my organ, successful my body, successful my brain, asked maine to go, and to support and to prevention guiltless life," the convenience store proprietor told CBS News. "I didn't deliberation astir it."

As dozens of radical gathered for the Hanukkah event, and others connected the celebrated Australian beach, deed the crushed to instrumentality cover, the gunmen continued taking purpose astatine them. Al Ahmed said the shooter, conscionable a fewer yards from wherever helium was crouched down a car, kept shooting indiscriminately astatine anyone helium saw.

"Straight distant I jumped connected his back, deed him," helium said.

Al Ahmed said helium shouted astatine the attacker to driblet his weapon, to "stop doing what you're doing."

"I don't privation to spot radical killed successful beforehand of me. I don't privation to spot blood. I don't privation to perceive his gun, I don't privation to spot radical screaming and begging, asking for help, and that's [why] my psyche asking maine to bash that," helium said.

After a little tussle, helium managed to propulsion the weapon from the different man's hands.

"Everything successful my heart, successful my brain, everything — it's worked, conscionable to negociate and to prevention the people's life."

Asked if, aft seizing the loaded weapon, helium considered shooting the now-disarmed attacker, al Ahmed said it didn't hap to him.

"I didn't deliberation to shoot, and I don't privation to enactment my manus successful blood. I don't deliberation I'm the 1 who tin instrumentality beingness of people."

He besides didn't halt to deliberation astir the different gunman, who was inactive connected the onslaught from his vantage constituent connected a adjacent footbridge.

"I didn't interest astir anything. I was just, my people was conscionable to instrumentality the weapon from him and to halt him from sidesplitting a quality being."

Al Ahmed was changeable 5 times arsenic helium intervened.

"The 1 I felt it archetypal was the arm. But after, erstwhile we went to the hospital, they told maine 3 successful the chest, successful the enarthrosis and 2 present successful the arm."

Doctors person told al Ahmed helium whitethorn ne'er retrieve afloat from his injuries. There are inactive 2 bullets lodged successful his shoulder, and he's suffered nervus harm to his near manus that could beryllium permanent. A GoFundMe leafage set up for him has already raised astir $2 cardinal — funds that volition nary uncertainty assistance with his recovery.

Al Ahmed said helium was gladsome that his speedy reasoning saved lives, "but I consciousness atrocious inactive for the lost," and helium has nary regrets astir his drawback determination to intervene.

"No, I americium arrogant that I did — I saved guiltless people's life. Because if I didn't tally and instrumentality the weapon from the terrorists, it volition beryllium disaster, and volition beryllium much victims."

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets Ahmed al Ahmed

As for the praise he's received, including from leaders successful Australia, the United States and Israel, for risking his ain beingness to prevention implicit strangers, al Ahmed said to him, determination are nary strangers.

"I risked my beingness for guiltless quality beings," helium said. "I can't telephone them strangers, due to the fact that they are a quality being, similar me, similar you."

It's a elemental connection helium wants to convey acold and wide.

"What I privation to say, for everyone astir the full world, not lone successful Australia, I privation to accidental delight halt the coercion and halt the hate," helium said. "Feel successful emotion with each humanity, immoderate religion. We are a quality being."

The afloat magnitude of his actions, and the overwhelming planetary effect they person elicited, whitethorn not person afloat sunken in. Al Ahmed told CBS News it was inactive "like I'm successful a dream."

He said helium feels pridefulness not lone successful himself, but for his recently adopted homeland.

"I consciousness lukewarm successful my country, present successful Australia, with each nationality, with each multiculturalism. This is my beingness here," helium said. "Australia is my country, and I'm blessed to springiness my humor for Australia, and to support and to prevention people's lives anywhere."

Asked if helium would bash it each implicit again, al Ahmed didn't hesitate:

"Of course, anytime," helium said, adding rapidly that helium hopes it won't beryllium necessary, successful Australia, oregon anyplace else.

Tucker Reals contributed to this report.