The courageous shopkeeper who confronted and disarmed one of the gunmen during the Bondi Beach terror attack has recounted the brief exchange he had with the attacker during those pivotal seconds that captured global attention.
In the tragic event, 15 individuals lost their lives while commemorating Hanukkah, as two gunmen opened fire on a gathering of men, women, and children. Amidst the chaos, a flicker of hope shone through when footage emerged of a man courageously stepping forward to disarm one of the shooters, capturing the world’s attention.
Australian citizen Ahmed al Ahmed, originally from Syria, played a critical role in the attack on Australia’s Jewish community on December 14. His brave intervention not only prevented further loss of life but also resulted in him sustaining multiple gunshot wounds.
In a discussion with CBS, Ahmed shared that during the intense moment, his thoughts were not of his own safety but of the potential lives at stake if he failed to act. “My target was just to take the gun from him, and to stop him from killing a human being’s life and not killing innocent people,” he explained.
Sprinting from his position behind a parked car, Ahmed engaged one of the attackers, issuing a brief command before stripping him of his weapon. He recounted: “I hold him with my right hand and start saying a word, you know, like to warn him – ‘drop your gun, stop doing what you’re doing’. “
Despite his newfound recognition as a hero, Ahmed remains troubled by the memory of the more than a dozen lives lost in the horrific antisemitic assault. “I know I saved lots, but I feel sorry for the lost,” he reflected.
During that critical juncture, his focus remained on the task at hand. Reflecting on the moment he confronted an armed assailant, he reiterated: “My target was just to take the gun from him, and to stop him from killing a human being’s life and not killing innocent people.”