The man who stopped one of the alleged Bondi Beach attackers has said he didn’t want to see people killed in front of him, as he shared his story for the first time since the attack earlier this month.
In an exclusive interview with US network CBS, Ahmed al Ahmed described what was going through his head as he stopped one of the two gunmen.
“I don’t want to see blood, I don’t want to hear his gun, I don’t want to … see people screaming and begging, asking ‘help, help,’ and that’s my soul (that) asked me to do that,” al Ahmed said.
More than 43,000 people around the world have donated more than 2.5 million Australian dollars ($1.7 million) to a fundraising campaign set up to thank al Ahmed, who was released from a Sydney hospital last week after multiple surgeries.
In the interview with CBS, which is set to air on Monday, al Ahmed said: “I know I saved lots of people’s lives: Innocent kids and women … and men, and I know I saved lots. But I feel sorry still for the lost,” he added.
CCTV footage showed the moment al Ahmed tackled and disarmed one of the attackers.
Al Ahmed, a Syrian-Australian Muslim shop owner, received international praise for his role in disarming one of the two gunmen involved in the December 14 mass shooting.
Surveillance footage showed him tackle one attacker to the ground, disarming him before being injured himself.
The shooting happened at a Hanukkah celebration and intentionally targeted Sydney’s Jewish community, Australian and US officials have said. Fifteen people died, and another 40 were hospitalised with injuries.
Police identified the attackers as 50-year-old Sajid Akram, who was killed by officers at the scene, and his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram.
Two gunmen are accused of shooting 15 people dead and wounding another 40 in an attack on a Hanukkah festival on Bondi Beach on December 14.
Al Ahmed’s interview with CBS comes as families of victims released an open letter calling for more federal action to investigate a rise in antisemitism and the security failures behind Australia’s worst mass shooting in three decades.
In an open letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, 17 families of the dead and wounded called for a federal inquiry known as a royal commission to investigate a rise in antisemitism in Australia since the Israel-Hamas war began in 2023 and consequent security agency failures.
Royal commissions are the most powerful form of public investigation in Australia and witnesses can be jailed for deliberately withholding evidence.
“We need to know why clear warning signs were ignored, how antisemitic hatred and Islamic extremism were allowed to dangerously grow unchecked, and what changes must be made to protect all Australians going forward,” the letter said.
But Albanese continued to resist calls from the families, Jewish leaders and opposition lawmakers to establish such a royal commission, saying it would take years to provide answers.
Instead, he announced the terms of an inquiry by retired bureaucrat Dennis Richardson that would examine potential failings in procedures and laws that led to the shooting, which was allegedly inspired by the Islamic State group. That inquiry will report in April next year.
“My heart breaks for the families of the victims of the Bondi terrorist atrocity,” Albanese told reporters. “And my heart goes out to them at what is an incredibly traumatic time.”
“My job, as the Australian prime minister, is to act in the national interests. It is in the national interest for us to do the Richardson review on national security,” Albanese added.
As the nation reels from its worst mass shooting since a lone gunman killed 35 people in Tasmania state in 1996, the usual New Year’s Eve celebrations have been cancelled at Bondi. Tickets sold to an annual music festival at Bondi will be refunded, organisers said.
Security will be tightened at Sydney’s main celebration, with heavily armed police expected to be visible. More than one million revellers are expected to crowd the waterfront to see a fireworks display centred on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said he was discussing with the federal government getting the army involved in bolstering security in Sydney.
“This is the worst terrorism event that’s affected our state and our country ever, and it requires a comprehensive response,” Minns told reporters.
One of the alleged shooters, Sajid Akram, 50, was killed by police at the scene. His 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram, was wounded and faces dozens of charges, including 15 counts of murder.
Albanese has attempted to turn the public focus from the perpetrators to the heroes of the tragedy. Last week, he announced plans for a national bravery award to recognise civilians and first responders who confronted “the worst of evil” during the attack, including Ahmed al Ahmed.
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