Donations Near $1m As Bondi Hero Who Disarmed Terrorist Fights To Recover

Donations have surged to nearly $1 million for Ahmed el Ahmed, the Bondi hero who risked his life to stop a jihadi terrorist during a deadly mass shooting in Australia.

Ahmed, a 43-year-old Syrian-born fruit shop owner and father of two, is currently hospitalised after sustaining two gunshot wounds to his shoulder. He sprang into action on Sunday night after a gunman opened fire during a Jewish celebration in Bondi, Sydney.

Moments before confronting the attacker, Ahmed reportedly confided in his cousin, Jozay Alkanj, believing he might not survive.

“He told me, ‘I’m going to die. Please see my family and tell them I went down to save people’s lives,’” Alkanj recalled outside the hospital, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

What began as an ordinary evening quickly turned surreal. Alkanj said they had stepped out briefly for coffee when chaos erupted.

“We went behind the cars. The shooting was very close to us. Everything happened so fast,” he said.

Video footage later showed Ahmed moving cautiously through a car park along Campbell Parade, inching closer to the armed man. Then, in a flash of raw courage, he sprinted forward, tackled the attacker, and wrestled the rifle from his grip.

The gunman, identified as 50-year-old Sajid Akram, stumbled backward as Ahmed seized the weapon and aimed it toward him. Akram retreated as Ahmed leaned the rifle against a tree. Moments later, another bystander charged the shooter and hurled an object at him.

The dramatic footage spread rapidly online, igniting global admiration and prompting a GoFundMe campaign to support Ahmed and his family as he recovers.

According to Mail Online, the fundraiser has attracted over 5,000 donations, pushing the total close to $1 million. Among the contributors is US billionaire Bill Ackman, who reportedly donated $100,000.

The shooting claimed at least 16 lives, including that of a ten-year-old girl, with dozens more left critically injured. Amid the grief and devastation, Ahmed el Ahmed’s actions stand as a fierce reminder of human bravery, one man choosing to run toward danger so others could live.