Ahmed al Ahmed went out for coffee at Sydney's Bondi Beach and ended up at the center of one of Australia's worst hate attacks—but also a national outpouring of gratitude, per CBS News. The 44-year-old Syrian-Australian shop owner, a Muslim father of two, was filmed ducking between parked cars before sprinting at one of two gunmen who had opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration, killing 15 people. Video shows al Ahmed tackling the shooter, wrestling away a shotgun, and turning it on the attacker. Authorities and witnesses say his actions likely prevented further deaths, though he was shot multiple times in the arm, apparently by the second gunman.
As al Ahmed undergoes surgeries and faces what supporters say will be at least six months of recovery, a crowdfunding campaign launched by strangers has drawn more than $1.5 million from some 42,000 donors, including billionaire investor Bill Ackman. Under Australia's public health system, al Ahmed is not expected to face major medical bills, but donors say the money is meant to support him and his family during his long recovery. Similarly, flowers and handwritten messages of thanks now cover the sidewalk outside his small convenience store in suburban Sydney.
In a country absorbing a massacre allegedly carried out by a longtime resident and his Australian-born son, the stories of those who ran toward danger—led by a Muslim immigrant defending Jewish worshippers—have become touchstones in a broader public debate over identity, courage, and what it means to be Australian. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who visited al Ahmed in the hospital on Tuesday, called him "a true Australian hero" who represents "the best of our country," per Euronews. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said he believed al Ahmed saved "countless" lives; al Ahmed reportedly told Minns he would make the same choice again. (Read stories of other victims' brave acts here.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
