Amid the deafening crack of gunfire at Bondi Beach, Ahmed al Ahmed made a split-second choice that separated life from death for dozens of terrified worshippers.

The Syrian-born shop owner has broken his silence on the terrifying moments he wrestled a rifle from a terrorist during the Hanukkah attack—an act of valor that punctuated Australia’s darkest day since 1996.

For Kenyans, who have borne the scars of terror from Westgate to DusitD2, Ahmed’s instinct to protect the innocent strikes a familiar, poignant chord. In an exclusive interview with CBS News, the father of two described the adrenaline-fueled confrontation that left him wounded but unbowed.

A Split-Second Decision

Verified footage confirms Ahmed’s heroism. As chaos erupted, he did not flee. Instead, he charged Sajid Akram, 50, tackling the gunman from behind and wrestling the long-arm weapon from his grip.

"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'," Ahmed recounted. His voice, steady yet heavy with the memory, conveyed the urgency of the moment.

His objective was singular. "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 emphasized.

The intervention came at a steep personal cost. While grappling with the elder Akram, Ahmed was shot multiple times by the second alleged gunman, identified as the attacker's son, Naveed Akram.

The Toll of Terror

The attack, which targeted a Jewish community gathering, has left a nation in mourning. Police have classified the tragedy as a terrorist incident, confirming the following grim statistics:

• 15 fatalities: The highest death toll in an Australian mass shooting since the Port Arthur massacre in 1996.
• 40 injured: Dozens remain in hospital with varying degrees of trauma.
• 59 charges: Naveed Akram faces a litany of offences, including 15 counts of murder and committing a terrorist attack.

While Sajid Akram was shot dead by police at the scene, his son remains hospitalized under heavy guard. Authorities are now piecing together the radicalization pathway of the father-son duo.

Despite his injuries, Ahmed’s thoughts remain with the victims. He acknowledged that while his actions saved "lots of people," the weight of the tragedy persists. "I feel sorry still for the lost," he said, a sentiment that transcends borders and speaks to the universal grief of terror.