The man who tackled an armed assailant during the Bondi Beach terror attack and was praised as the “Bondi hero” has talked openly about the split second decision that put him in danger.
According to Ahmed Al Ahmed, his sole goal was to disarm the shooter and prevent additional fatalities.
During the December 14 attack on the Chanukah by the Sea festival near Bondi Beach, Al Ahmed was seen on camera charging a man brandishing a rifle and wrestling it away.
Two shooters opened fire at the community gathering celebrating Hanukkah, killing fifteen people and injuring dozens more.
As people screamed and fled, Al Ahmed talked about acting instinctively in a television interview.
“I just wanted to take the gun and stop him from killing a human being,” stated Ahmed Al Ahmed. He also remembered grabbing the assailant from behind and yelling at him to drop the weapon.
Al Ahmed claimed that after taking control of the gun, he decided against firing. “Because I’m a human being and I don’t want to put my hand in blood,” stated Ahmed Al Ahmed.
After being shot several times in the shoulder, he had surgery but according to media reports, the bullets are still lodged.
Political figures and the general public praised Al Ahmed’s intervention and in the weeks following the attack, fundraising topped $2.5 million.
He said he would do it again if given the same option, but he is still focused on the lives lost in spite of the attention.
