More than $2.6 million has been raised in support of a man hailed as a hero for disarming an attacker during a mass shooting at a Hanukkah gathering on Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia, last weekend.
The tragic event, which occurred on December 14, resulted in at least 15 fatalities. In its aftermath, a GoFundMe campaign was established for Ahmed al Ahmed, whose courageous actions were captured on video as he tackled and disarmed one of the alleged shooters.
By Sunday morning, nearly 45,000 people had contributed a total of $2.64 million to the fund supporting al Ahmed. A Syrian-born Australian Muslim, al Ahmed was among the many injured during the incident, having been shot by a second gunman while intervening.
The fundraising page describes al Ahmed’s actions as “selfless, instinctive, and unquestionably heroic,” noting that he acted without concern for his own safety. Early reports suggest he suffered two gunshot wounds in the process as he worked to protect others.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns visited Ahmed al Ahmed, 43, at a hospital in Sydney on December 15, 2025, to express his support and gratitude for al Ahmed’s bravery.
The organizers of the campaign emphasized that it was launched to acknowledge and support a person who displayed “incredible courage when it was needed 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.
One of the fundraiser’s organizers, social media influencer Zachery Dereniowski, visited al Ahmed at a Sydney hospital on Friday to present him with a check for $2.5 million, the amount raised at that time.
Surfers and swimmers head out to the ocean as a tribute following Sunday’s shooting at Bondi Beach, in Sydney, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (Steve Markham,File/AP Photo)
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.”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese 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 Benjamin Netanyahu 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.”
Rabbi Yossi Friedman leads a tribute for the victims of a mass shooting during a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach on Dec. 14, in Sydney, Australia, Dec. 20, 2025. (Eloisa Lopez/Reuters)
The Australian government is investigating the shooting as a terror attack targeting the Jewish community.
A 24-year-old man who allegedly perpetrated the terror attack with his 50-year-old father was slapped with murder charges. The father “died at the scene,” police said.
