$2.6M raised for Australian hero who disarmed attacker in Bondi Beach shooting
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
More than $2.6 million has been raised for the man who disarmed one of the attackers during a mass shooting at a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, last weekend.
Following the attack that took place on December 14 and killed at least 15 people, a GoFundMe page was opened for Ahmed al Ahmed, who was declared a hero after the video showed him fighting and disarming one of the alleged gunmen.
As of Sunday morning, nearly 45,000 donations had raised $2.64 million For al-Ahmad, a Syrian-born Australian Muslim who was one of dozens of people injured when a second gunman opened fire on him during the attack.
“In a time of chaos and danger, Ahmed al-Ahmed stepped forward without hesitation,” the fundraiser said. “His actions were selfless, instinctive and undeniably heroic, and were done without regard for his own safety. Initial reports indicate that he was shot twice while protecting others in the process.”
SURVIVING AUSTRALIAN TERRORIST SUSPECT SLAPPED WITH CHARGES AFTER DEADLY ATTACK
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns visits Ahmed Al Ahmed, 43, at a hospital in Sydney, Australia, on December 15, 2025. (NSW Premier Chris Minns Account / Statement/Anatolia via Getty Images)
Organizers added that the campaign was created to show gratitude and support for someone who showed “incredible courage when it mattered most”.
Footage from the scene shows Al Ahmed, the father of two young daughters aged 5 and 6, sneaking up behind the attacker as shots were fired from the camera. He is then seen tackling the gunman and turning the gun on the attacker, holding him at gunpoint, before turning the gun away from him.
Social media influencer Zachery Dereniowski, one of the fundraiser’s organizers, visited Al Ahmed at a Sydney hospital on Friday and presented him with a check for $2.5 million raised at the time.
ANTI-TERRORISM POLICE IN AUSTRALIA WE DETAINED 7 MEN, AND WE RELEASED THE COUNTRY’S YOUNGEST BONDI BAHALI VICTIM.
Surfers and swimmers head out into the ocean on Friday, December 19, 2025, as a tribute to Sunday’s shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney. (Steve Markham, File/AP Photo)
In a video shared on social media, Al Ahmed is seen to be touched by this gesture.
Sitting in his hospital bed, al-Ahmad asked: “Did I deserve this?” he asked.
“Every penny,” Dereniowski replied.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited al-Ahmad earlier this week, hailing him as “Australia’s hero”.
“You put yourself at risk to save others, run towards danger at Bondi Beach and disarm a terrorist,” he wrote to X. “In the worst of times, we see the best in Australians. That’s exactly what we saw on Sunday night. On behalf of every Australian, I thank you.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Ahmed’s actions as “courageous” and Australia’s New South Wales Premier Chris Minns noted that his “incredible courage undoubtedly saved countless lives”.
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION
Rabbi Yossi Friedman leads a memorial service for the victims of the mass shooting during the Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach on December 14, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. (Eloisa Lopez/Reuters)
The Australian government is investigating the attack as a terrorist attack targeting the Jewish community.
A murder charge was filed against a 24-year-old man who allegedly carried out the terrorist attack together with his 50-year-old father. Police said the father “died at the scene.”
Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitzberg, Anders Hagstrom and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
