Over $2.6 million has been collected to support a man hailed as a hero for disarming an assailant during a mass shooting at a Hanukkah gathering on Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia, last weekend.

The incident, occurring on December 14, resulted in at least 15 fatalities. In its aftermath, a GoFundMe campaign was initiated for Ahmed al Ahmed, recognized for his bravery in subduing one of the shooters, as captured in a widely circulated video.

By Sunday morning, nearly 45,000 contributors had donated a total of $2.64 million for al Ahmed, a Muslim originally from Syria who now resides in Australia. He was among the many injured in the attack, sustaining gunshot wounds when a second shooter opened fire.

The fundraising page highlights, “In a moment fraught with chaos and danger, Ahmed al Ahmed acted without hesitation. His bravery was both selfless and instinctual, as he prioritized the safety of others over his own. Preliminary reports reveal he was shot twice while protecting others.”

On December 15, 2025, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns visited Ahmed Al Ahmed, aged 43, at a hospital in Sydney, Australia. (NSW Premier Chris Minns Account / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The organizers added that the campaign was created to show gratitude and support for someone who demonstrated “incredible courage when it mattered most.”

Footage from the scene shows al Ahmed, a father of two young daughters, ages 5 and 6, sneaking up behind the attacker as shots are fired off camera. He is then seen tackling the gunman and wrestling the weapon away from him, before turning the weapon on the attacker and holding him at gunpoint.

One of the fundraiser’s organizers, social media influencer Zachery Dereniowski, visited al Ahmed at a Sydney hospital on Friday to present him with a check for $2.5 million, the amount raised at that time.

Surfers and swimmers head out to the ocean as a tribute following Sunday’s shooting at Bondi Beach, in Sydney, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025.  (Steve Markham,File/AP Photo)

In a video shared on social media, al Ahmed appeared overwhelmed by the gesture.

Sitting in his hospital bed, al Ahmed asked, “I deserve it?”

Dereniowski replied, “Every penny.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited al Ahmed earlier this week, hailing him as an “Australian hero.”

“You put yourself at risk to save others, running towards danger on Bondi Beach and disarming a terrorist,” he wrote on X. “In the worst of times, we see the best of Australians. And that’s exactly what we saw on Sunday night. On behalf of every Australian, I say thank you.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised al Ahmed’s actions as “brave,” and Chris Minns, the premier of Australia’s New South Wales, stated that his “incredible bravery no doubt saved countless lives.”

Rabbi Yossi Friedman leads a tribute for the victims of a mass shooting during a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach on Dec. 14, in Sydney, Australia, Dec. 20, 2025. (Eloisa Lopez/Reuters)

The Australian government is investigating the shooting as a terror attack targeting the Jewish community.

A 24-year-old man who allegedly perpetrated the terror attack with his 50-year-old father was slapped with murder charges. The father “died at the scene,” police said.