Fundraiser for ‘Australian hero’ who disarmed terrorist during Bondi Beach mass shooting surpasses $2.6M
The man who disarmed one of the assailants during a mass shooting that targeted a Hanukkah event on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, last weekend has received over $2.6 million.
A GoFundMe site was created for Ahmed al Ahmed following the incident, which occurred on December 14 and claimed the lives of at least 15 people. Ahmed al Ahmed was hailed as a hero after footage showed him attacking and disarming one of the suspected attackers.
Nearly 45,000 donations have contributed $2.64 million as of Sunday morning for al Ahmed, an Australian Muslim of Syrian descent who was one of the scores injured when a second gunman opened fire on him during the incident.
“In a moment of chaos and danger, Ahmed al-Ahmed stepped forward without hesitation,” the fundraiser states. “His actions were selfless, instinctive, and undeniably heroic, taken without regard for his own safety. Early reports indicate he was shot twice in the process while protecting others.”
The organizers added that the campaign was created to show gratitude and support for someone who demonstrated “incredible courage when it mattered most.”
Footage from the scene shows al Ahmed, a father of two young daughters, ages 5 and 6, sneaking up behind the attacker as shots are fired off camera. He is then seen tackling the gunman and wrestling the weapon away from him, before turning the weapon on the attacker and holding him at gunpoint.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited al Ahmed earlier this week, hailing him as an “Australian hero.”