Over $2.6 million has been raised for the man who disarmed one of the attackers during a mass shooting targeting a Hanukkah event on Bondi Beach last weekend.
After the attack – which took place on Dec. 14 and left at least 15 people dead – a GoFundMe page was created for Ahmed al Ahmed, who was called a hero after video showed him one of the alleged gunmen.
As of Sunday morning, nearly 45,000 donations had raised $2.64 million for al Ahmed, a Syrian-born Australian Muslim who was one of dozens wounded when a second gunman fired on him during the attack.
“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.”
Organizers said the campaign was set up to show gratitude and support for someone who displayed “incredible courage when it mattered most.”
Footage from the scene shows al Ahmed – a father of two young daughters, 5 and 6 – sneaking up behind the attacker as shots are fired off camera. He is then seen and wrestling the weapon away from him, before turning the gun on the attacker and holding him at gunpoint.
Social media influencer Zachery Dereniowski, one of the fundraiser’s organizers, visited al Ahmed at a Sydney hospital on Friday to present him with a $2.5 million check – the amount raised at that time.
In a video shared on social media, al Ahmed appeared overwhelmed by the gesture.
Sitting in his hospital bed, al Ahmed asked, “I deserve it?”
Dereniowski replied, “Every penny.”
visited al Ahmed earlier this week, hailing him as an “Australian hero.”
“You put yourself at risk to save others, running towards danger on Bondi Beach and disarming a terrorist,” he wrote on X. “In the worst of times, we see the best of Australians. And that’s exactly what we saw on Sunday night. On behalf of every Australian, I say thank you.”
Israeli Prime Minister praised al Ahmed’s actions as “brave,” and Chris Minns, the premier of Australia’s New South Wales, stated that his “incredible bravery no doubt saved countless lives.”
The Australian government is investigating the shooting as a terror attack targeting the Jewish community.
A 24-year-old man who allegedly carried out the terror attack with his 50-year-old father was charged with murder. Police said the father “died at the scene.”
Digital’s Alex Nitzberg, Anders Hagstrom and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.