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New Delhi: Who knew that a common fruit vendor’s act of bravery would make him a millionaire? The 43-year-old man, identified as Ahmed Al-Ahmed, saved numerous lives by charging at one of the key shooters during Australia’s Bondi attack, which claimed 16 lives.
Following this brief yet extraordinary act of courage, a GoFundMe campaign raised nearly $2 million for Ahmed. More than 33,000 people contributed to the fundraiser, which stood at $1.94 million as of 11:30 am Sydney time on Tuesday, Bloomberg reported.
The incident took place on Sunday, when people were immersed in Hanukkah celebrations. Two gunmen opened fire on a crowd gathered at the venue, turning the first day of the holy festival into a tragic ordeal that shattered several lives.
The attackers were identified as Sajid Akram (50) and his son Naveed (24). The duo allegedly began firing indiscriminately. Amid the chaos, Ahmed, who had been taking cover behind a parked car, charged at one of the shooters, wrestled the rifle from his hands, and forced him to retreat.
Ahmed then pointed the rifle at the attacker before lowering it and raising his hand, apparently to signal to authorities that he was not one of the gunmen. The shooter later moved towards a bridge, picked up another weapon, and resumed firing, media reports said. Videos of the incident quickly went viral on social media, with users praising Ahmed for actions they said helped avert further casualties.
Soon after the video began circulating on social media, Ahmed was widely lauded for his act of bravery. US President Donald Trump expressed “great respect” for him, while Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised Ahmed, saying his actions reflected “people rushing towards danger to show the best of the Australian character.”
Pershing Square Capital Management founder Bill Ackman also hailed Ahmed as “a brave hero” and announced that his hedge fund would establish a rewards programme to honour others who carry out similar acts of courage. The largest single contribution on the GoFundMe page was made by William Ackman, amounting to $99,999.
The matter escalated after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese indicated that investigators had found a possible trace of “Islamic State flags in the seized vehicle.”This marked the first time legal and political authorities publicly commented on the suspected ideological influence behind the attackers.
