Bondi hero Ahmed Al Ahmed feared police would shoot him after disarming gunman

Bondi hero Ahmed Al Ahmed has revealed he feared police would shoot him after he disarmed one of the gunmen during the Bondi Beach massacre.

Mr Al Ahmed wrote in his book, Light Will Win, “I’m realistic, I’m a Middle Eastern man with a rifle in the middle of an attack in the Jewish community. I was scared the police would shoot before asking questions.”

Mr Al Ahmed told 2GB radio he never thought to shoot the alleged attacker once he wrestled the gun from him.

“My target was only to disarm him and take the gun from him and to save people’s lives,” he said.

Mr Al Ahmed, who was shot five times during the alleged terror attack, said he felt like a “proud Aussie” when he chose to risk his life and run into danger.

“I couldn’t handle it, I’m hearing women crying and screaming and the kids and men and everyone. I take the action to stop and to save innocent people,” he said.

“I’m a proud Aussie because I felt in this moment, our country and Australian people, they do not deserve this shooting and all that’s happening.”

The father of two girls said he took the opportunity to charge the gunman while he was loading the next bullet.

“I slammed into him with all my strength and swung my fist into his head,” he wrote in his book.

While Mr Al Ahmed held the gunman’s own gun on him, a second shooter shot Mr Al Ahmed five times, first in the elbow and then twice to the shoulder, only missing his heart by about 5cm.

Mr Al Ahmed said he was awake while he was transported to hospital.

“I was awake and the only thing that I remember is I want a water because I was very thirsty,” he said.

At the hospital, Mr Al Ahmed found out that he was now famous around the world, but the main focus at that time was how much pain he was in.

When the shooting started, Mr Al Ahmed told his cousin to say his prayers because they were going to die.

“I told him ‘look, stay where you are. Don’t move, don’t move anything like your body, your head. Don’t look for anything because (in this) situation, we’re going to die’,” he said.

“It just came naturally to me, where I was sitting in between two cars and breathing hardly and all my heart pumping fast, I start praying something from my religion.”

But Mr Al Ahmed said he would do it all over again.

“Of course, I will do it because Australia give me more than I deserve,” he said.