Bondi Beach hero Ahmed al-Ahmed speaks out for first time after deadly shooting

The Syrian-Australian man widely credited with stopping the Bondi Beach gunman has spoken publicly for the first time, saying he acted only to save lives.

Ahmed al-Ahmed, 43, tackled and disarmed one of the shooters during the attack that killed 15 people during Hanukkah celebrations at the beachfront in Sydney. He was shot multiple times while intervening.

In an interview with CBS News, al-Ahmed said he did not think about his own safety. His only focus was on preventing further deaths.

"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," the fruit shop owner said. "I know I saved lots, but I feel sorry for the loss."

He described jumping on the gunman from behind, grabbing the weapon and ordering him to stop.

"I felt [...] a power in my body and my brain. I don't want to see people killed in front of me, I don't want to hear his gun, I don't want to see people screaming and begging for help. My soul asked me to do that," he said.

"Everything in my heart, in my brain, everything, it's worked just to manage to save the people's lives."

Security footage shows al-Ahmed emerging from a parked car and taking down the attacker. He was later taken to surgery for multiple gunshot wounds. Family members confirmed his identity while he remained in hospital.

Police named the gunmen as Sajid Akram, 50, and his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram. They killed 15 people before Sajid Akram was shot dead by police. The victims included an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor and a 10-year-old girl.

Al-Ahmed, originally from Syria’s Idlib province and now a fruit shop owner in Sydney, has been hailed by witnesses as the reason the death toll was not higher.

Videos of the incident circulated online, with many pointing out that a Muslim man risked his life to stop the attack as anti-Muslim rhetoric and Islamophobic conspiracy theories began circulating in the aftermath.

Speaking to Al-Araby TV, al-Ahmed's relatives said his actions reflected conscience, not heroism.

"He could not stand there and watch people being killed," one family member said.