Donations to Support Syrian Man Ahmed Al-Ahmad Surpass $1 Million in Less Than 24 Hours
Donations to support Ahmed Al-Ahmad, a 43-year-old Syrian man who was severely injured while intervening to disarm the gunman on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, have exceeded $1 million in less than 24 hours. A father of two and owner of a fruit shop, Ahmed Al-Ahmad was shot in the shoulder on Sunday after confronting the attacker. Widely shared videos on social media show the 43-year-old man dodging through a parking lot and struggling with the gunman before managing to disarm him. The circulation of these videos has sparked a massive outpouring of solidarity, leading to the launch of a fundraising campaign on the GoFundMe platform. In just a few hours, over 18,000 donors contributed to the fund, which surpassed $1 million. Among them is American billionaire Bill Ackman, who donated $100,000, according to the British daily newspaper Daily Mail. According to his cousin, Josie Alkeng, Ahmed Al-Ahmad allegedly said, just before rushing towards the attacker, that he was ready to sacrifice his life to save others. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns praised his courage, stating that his intervention prevented an even heavier toll. To recall, the armed attack resulted in at least 16 deaths and dozens of injuries. The gunman, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, was shot and killed by police at the scene, while his son, 24-year-old Navid, was taken to the hospital.
