One of the world’s richest men has rewarded the hero who tackled and disarmed one of the Bondi Beach attackers by grabbing his gun.
Naveed Akram, 24, and his father, 50, allegedly opened fire on a Jewish Hanukkah event shortly before 7pm on Sunday, killing at least 15 innocent people and injuring a further 40.
Father-of-two and fruit shop owner Ahmed al Ahmed, 43, has been identified by relatives as the man seen fighting one of the terrorists in a video widely shared on social media.
Shortly after the terror attack, Bill Ackman, a Jewish investment banker, worth more than $9.5billion, said he wanted to reward Mr Ahmed for his bravery.
‘Can someone please set up a verified so we can reward him and his family,’ he wrote on social media.
A GoFundMe has since been launched, and Daily Mail understands Mr Ackman has already donated $100,000 to Mr Ahmad.
Mr Ahmad’s family said he remains in hospital where he has undergone surgery for bullet wounds to his arm and hand.
He is seen in the footage, wearing a white T-shirt and crouching behind a car before pouncing on the back of the gunman then grappling with him and snatching the rifle away from him.
Bill Ackman, a Jewish investment banker with a multi-billion dollar fortune, vowed to reward the Bondi hero
The hero who disarmed one of the Bondi Beach attackers by grabbing his gun is a father-of-two fruit shop owner, pictured in a white shirt
Ahmed al Ahmed, 43, has been named by relatives as the man fighting one of the terrorists in a video shared widely on social media
The terrorist backs away in a car park area as Mr Ahmed points the shotgun at him.
The hero is then seen raising his hand before resting the gun against a tree apparently to show police he was not one of the attackers.
His cousin Mustafa told 7News Australia: ‘Still he is in hospital and we don’t know exactly what is going on, the doctor says he is OK.
‘We hope he is okay, he is a hero, 100 per cent he is a hero.
‘He has two shots, one in his arm and one in his hand, he has had to have an operation.’
New South Wales premier Chris Minns described Mr Ahmed as a ‘genuine hero’, while Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: ‘We have seen Australians today run towards danger in order to help others.
‘These Australians are heroes, and their bravery has saved lives.’
The shooting has officially been declared a terrorist incident, which will allow ASIO, the Australian Federal Police and its state counterpart to deploy special powers as it investigates the shooting.
He is seen in the footage crouching behind a car before pouncing on the back of the gunman then grappling with him and snatching the rifle away from him
The gunman backs away in a car park area as Mr Ahmed points the shotgun at him
Akram was apprehended at the scene of the shooting and taken to hospital under police guard in critical but stable condition. His father died at the scene.
Despite the family being known to ASIO, the father had held a gun licence for 10 years and owned six guns – all of which have been accounted for.
‘One of these individuals was known to us, but not in an immediate threat perspective,’ ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess said on Sunday night.
‘So obviously we need to look into what happened.’
ASIO has since committed to reviewing the issue and searching for others who might be plotting similar attacks, though its director-general stressed there was no indication anyone else in the community had a similar intent.
His mother Verena said the he had told family he had gone to Jervis Bay with his father for a weekend of fishing and swimming before the attack.
‘He rings me up [on Sunday] and said, “Mum, I just went for a swim. I went scuba diving. We’re going… to eat now”,’ she told the Sydney Morning Herald.
‘And then this morning, “we’re going to stay home now because it’s very hot”.’
Naveed Akram, 24, has been identified as one of the gunmen behind the Bondi Beach shooting
Akram was shot, arrested and was rushed to hospital in critical condition under police guard
Verena was unable to identify her son from a photo at the scene of the shooting, but insisted he was a ‘good boy’ who is incapable of violence or extremism.
‘He doesn’t have a firearm. He doesn’t even go out. He doesn’t mix around with friends. He doesn’t drink, he doesn’t smoke, he doesn’t go to bad places,’ she said.
‘He goes to work, he comes home, he goes to exercise, and that’s it.’
He had attended Cabramatta High School and was not particularly social, she said.
He lived at the three-bedroom Bonnyrigg home with his parents and younger sister and brother, around which police set up an exclusion zone on Sunday night.
Police say 13 people died at the scene and another two people, a 10-year-old girl and a 40-year-old man have since died in hospital.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said the victims range in age from as young as 10 to 87.
As many as 12 people remain in critical conditions with the others in serious and stable conditions.
Three children are being treated in hospital.
Witnesses recalled the shooting lasting for five minutes before police intervened.
The shooting has officially been declared a terrorist incident, which will allow ASIO, the Australian Federal Police and its state counterpart to deploy special powers as it investigates the shooting.
