On Bondi Beach in Sydney, a local resident, 43-year-old Ahmed Al-Ahmed, managed to stop a terrorist, which caused a wide public outcry. Bill Ackman, an American financier, decided to reward Ahmed for his bravery and donated $100,000 to him. This was reported by the British newspaper Daily Mail, citing its sources.
Ahmed Al-Ahmed, a fruit shop owner and father of two, became a hero after he was captured on video, widely circulated on social media, during a struggle with the terrorist who was trying to take his weapon.
After the incident, Bill Ackman expressed a desire to reward Ahmed, calling for the creation of a fundraising page in his support.
Shortly thereafter, a campaign was organized on the GoFundMe platform, and, as reported by Daily Mail, Ackman has already allocated $100,000. By December 15, the total amount of donations reached nearly $542,000 with a target of one million.
According to Ahmed's family, he is currently in the hospital after surgery on his arm and wrist, having sustained gunshot wounds. In the video, he is seen in a white t-shirt taking cover behind a car before attacking the terrorist.
The terrorist attack in Sydney occurred on December 14, when criminals opened fire on participants of a candle-lighting ceremony in honor of Hanukkah at Bondi Beach. As a result of the shooting, 15 people were injured, and one of the shooters was killed.
According to preliminary information, the attackers were a father and son. The 50-year-old man was killed at the scene, and his 24-year-old son is in critical condition in the hospital. The attack took place during the Hanukkah celebration, and the police characterized it as a terrorist act.
Witnesses of the incident reported that the shooting lasted about 10 minutes on a crowded beach on a hot evening.
The police received the report of the shooting at 6:47 PM local time (7:47 AM GMT) during the Hanukkah celebration, which gathered more than a thousand people.
Video footage, confirmed by the BBC, shows two individuals shooting at the crowd from a bridge leading to the beach. In another video, one of the shooters, after descending from the bridge, is attacked, and his weapon is taken away.
The number of injured continues to rise. According to New South Wales Health Minister Ryan Park, 15 people were injured in the shooting, and one of the attackers also died.
According to police, the 50-year-old shooter was killed at the scene, while his 24-year-old son is in critical condition. In total, 40 people, including two police officers, remained in the hospital. The ages of the victims range from 10 to 87 years, according to police.
Officials characterized the shooting as a targeted anti-Semitic attack and confirmed that they are treating it as a terrorist act against the Jewish community of Sydney. "Several homemade explosive devices" were found in a vehicle believed to belong to the attackers.
