Over the weekend, attackers opened fire at a Jewish celebration at Sydney, Australia’s Bondi Beach, killing 15 people.
The attackers, who police say are a father and son duo, may have caused much more devastation had Ahmed el Ahmed not intervened.
El Ahmed is a 43-year-old Australian citizen and father of two who immigrated from Syria in 2006. A fruit vendor who was near the scene, el Ahmed had been drinking coffee with a friend near the beach when he heard gunshots, a source close to him told The New York Times.
That’s when he leapt into action. Crouching behind a car in a parking lot just feet away from one of the gunmen, el Ahmed ran toward the assailant and pounced on him to disarm him. The two men wrestled briefly until el Ahmed apprehended a long firearm from the man, who then fell to the ground.
A video circulating online shows el Ahmed pointing the weapon at the assailant, who then got up and stumbled away. Early reports indicate that el Ahmed took four to five gunshot wounds in the process of disarming the attacker and is in stable condition.
On Sunday, Chris Minns, Premier of New South Wales, visited el Ahmed in the hospital and shared a photo on social media site X.
“Ahmed is a real-life hero. Last night, his incredible bravery no doubt saved countless lives when he disarmed a terrorist at enormous personal risk,” Minns wrote. “It was an honour to spend time with him just now and to pass on the thanks of people across NSW.”
El Ahmed, who is being praised as a hero amid Australia’s worst terrorist attack in decades, is notably a Muslim man who intervened in a coordinated attack on a Jewish Hanukkah celebration.
“He wasn’t thinking about the background of the people he’s saving, the people dying in the street,” el Ahmed’s father, Mohamed Fateh el Ahmed, told ABC. “He doesn’t discriminate between one nationality and another.”
To praise his courage and bravery — and support el Ahmed’s recovery — thousands have donated to a GoFundMe fundraiser. In fact, since the attack, over $1.5 million has been raised by more than 27,000 donors.
While many donations constitute small, individual gifts, one notable contribution comes from Bill Ackman, who gave $99,999 to the fundraiser. He also shared a link to the fundraiser on X and reiterated that “the funds will only be released directly to the hero.”
Messages of gratitude and awe covered the GoFundMe page, with donors from all over the world sharing sentiments with el Ahmed and his family.
“Ahmed, thank you for your extraordinary courage and humanity. Seeing you put your own life at risk to protect others, knowing you have two children at home, was deeply moving,” one person wrote. “You were a light in an unimaginably dark moment. We are deeply grateful that people like you exist. Wishing you a full and speedy recovery.”
“I donated $18 because in Judaism, chai means life. Giving in multiples of 18 is a way of wishing life, strength, and blessing,” another added. “And in this case, it rings very true.”
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