Bondi Beach Hero Receives $1.65 Million in Donations From Well-Wishers

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

The attack, the deadliest mass shooting in Australia in more than three decades, killed 15 people and injured many others. Video of the scene shows Ahmed hiding behind a parked car before sprinting toward a gunman, wresting the firearm away, knocking him to the ground and restraining him long enough to prevent the weapon from firing again. He was wounded by fire from the second attacker and is recovering in hospital after surgery.

At a hospital ceremony, GoFundMe co-organizer Zachery Dereniowski handed Ahmed the oversized check. Ahmed asked, 'I deserve it?' and Dereniowski replied, 'Every penny.' Among the donors was billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, who contributed $66,500 (about A$99,999) and promoted the fundraiser on his X account.

Ahmed, speaking from his hospital bed, reiterated a message to donors and the public: stand with each other, all human beings, and keep going to save lives. The event underscores a broader outpouring of support for the victims and for those who helped during the crisis.

Ahmed, 43, was born in Syria’s Idlib province and left about 20 years ago to seek work in Australia. His uncle, Mohammed al Ahmed, said the family learned of his nephew’s act through social media and that Syria is proud of him. Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New South Wales Premier Chris Minns visited Ahmed in the hospital to commend his bravery. President Donald Trump also hailed Ahmed as a hero.

The shooting was carried out by a suspected father-son duo who opened fire on crowds celebrating Hanukkah. The 50-year-old father, Sajid Akram, was shot dead by police on a pedestrian bridge near Bondi Beach, while his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram, was critically wounded and taken to hospital. Among those killed were a 10-year-old girl named Matilda Britvan, two rabbis, and an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor. Investigators have said the motive remains under review as they seek to understand what prompted the attack.

In the days after the shooting, officials described the action as an act of courage by Ahmed that resonated across Australia and beyond. Trump’s praise of Ahmed added to international attention on the incident. Ahmed has urged the public to unite, noting that the country has shown resilience in the face of tragedy: 'This country. Best country in the world. But we are not going to stand and keep watching. Enough is enough. God protect Australia. Aussie. Aussie. Aussie.'