Bondi Beach hero Ahmed al Ahmed receives about $1.65 million in donations

Ahmed al Ahmed, 43, the bystander who disarmed one of the alleged attackers during a mass shooting at Bondi Beach, received a check for about $1.65 million on Friday after tens of thousands donated through a GoFundMe page.

Footage from the attack shows Ahmed hiding behind a parked car before sprinting toward one of the gunmen, grappling with him, wrestling the firearm away, and holding the assailant at gunpoint with enough restraint not to pull the trigger. Ahmed was wounded by gunfire from the second attacker and underwent surgery at St. George Hospital, where he is recovering.

Zachery Dereniowski, a social media influencer who co-organized the GoFundMe page, handed Ahmed the oversized check as the fundraiser drew contributions from tens of thousands of people, including billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, who donated $66,500 (about A$99,999). Ahmed told donors, "stand with each other, all human beings. And forget everything bad behind the back, and keep going to save life." He added, from his hospital bed, that the country is the best in the world, but that Australians cannot stand by and watch when danger rises, concluding with a call: "God protect Australia. Aussie. Aussie. Aussie."

Ahmed, a Syrian-born Australian citizen who left Idlib province for Australia about 20 years ago, has two daughters. His uncle, Mohammed al Ahmed, told Reuters that the family learned of the act through online footage and expressed pride, saying Syria is proud of him.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New South Wales Premier Chris Minns visited Ahmed in the hospital to commend his bravery. Albanese wrote on X, "Ahmed, you are an Australian hero. You put yourself at risk to save others, running towards danger on Bondi Beach and disarming a terrorist. 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." President Donald Trump also hailed Ahmed as a hero.

The shooting involved a suspected father-and-son duo who opened fire at crowds celebrating Hanukkah. Police killed the 50-year-old father, Sajid Akram, on a pedestrian bridge near Bondi Beach, while his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram, was critically wounded and taken to a hospital. Among the dead were a 10-year-old girl named Matilda Britvan, two rabbis, and an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor.

Officials described the incident as the worst mass shooting in Australia in more than 30 years, a context that amplified the public reaction to Ahmed’s actions and the fundraising effort that followed.