Bondi Beach Hero Receives $1.6 Million in Donations From Well-Wishers

SYDNEY — Ahmed al Ahmed, the bystander who wrestled a gunman to the ground during the Hanukkah weekend attack on Bondi Beach, has collected about $1.65 million in donations from tens of thousands of supporters through a GoFundMe page, organizers said Friday. The 43-year-old Australian citizen, who emigrated from Syria's Idlib province about two decades ago, was wounded by a shot fired by the second attacker and remains hospitalized after surgery at St. George Hospital.

The weekend attack was carried out by a father-and-son team, Sajid Akram, 50, and Naveed Akram, 24, who opened fire on crowds along Bondi Beach on Sunday night, killing 15 people. Police on a nearby pedestrian bridge shot the father; Naveed Akram was critically wounded and remained hospitalized. Among the dead were Matilda Britvan, 10; two rabbis, and an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor.

Video from the scene shows Ahmed hiding behind a parked car before sprinting toward the gunmen, wrestling away the firearm, and holding the suspect at gunpoint with restraint intended to prevent further harm.

Zachery Dereniowski, a social media influencer who co-organized the GoFundMe page, presented Ahmed with an oversized check at St. George Hospital. The moment drew international attention as the fundraiser drew tens of thousands of donors, including billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, who contributed AU$99,999 (about US$66,500).

A message from Ahmed to donors emphasized unity and resilience, urging people to stand with each other and keep helping save lives.

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New South Wales Premier Chris Minns visited Ahmed in the hospital to commend his bravery. Albanese described Ahmed as an Australian hero who put himself at risk to save others on Bondi Beach, and noted that in the worst of times, Australians showed their best.

President Donald Trump also hailed Ahmed as a hero on social media, reflecting the wide profile the incident attracted internationally.

Authorities described the late Sunday attack as the worst mass shooting on Australian soil in more than three decades. Sajid Akram was shot by police on a pedestrian bridge near Bondi Beach; Naveed Akram remained in critical condition. Fifteen people were killed, including a 10-year-old girl named Matilda Britvan, two rabbis, and an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor.

Ahmed, 43, moved to Australia from Syria about 20 years ago and built a life here; he has two daughters.