Donations for the hero fruit shop owner who tackled the Bondi Beach gunman have surpassed $1million.
Ahmed al Ahmed, 43, has been lauded as a "genuine hero" following his courageous intervention during Sunday's devastating terror attack at Bondi Beach.
The 43-year-old confronted one of the gunmen who opened fire on crowds gathered for a Jewish event, with authorities crediting him with saving numerous lives.
A crowdfunding campaign established in his honour has attracted $1.17million (approximately £600,000) in donations within hours.
Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman was the largest donor, contributing $99,999 and sharing the fundraiser on his X account.
The assault, which police have characterised as a targeted attack, claimed the lives of at least 15 people, with one of the gunmen also killed.
A further 40 individuals sustained injuries during the rampage.
Footage circulating online captured the moment Mr al Ahmed, dressed in a white T-shirt, crouched behind a vehicle before launching himself at the attacker.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns visited Ahmed al Ahmed in hospital
|REUTERS
During a pause in the gunfire, he charged towards the shooter, securing him in a headlock from behind before wrestling the rifle from his grasp.
The father of two, who resides in Sydney's Sutherland area, continues to receive treatment in hospital.
According to his family, Mr al Ahmed has undergone surgery for bullet wounds sustained to his arm and hand during the confrontation.
His father, Mohamed Fateh al Ahmed, told ABC News: "My son is a hero. He served in the police, he has the passion to defend people.
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Remarkable footage online showed Ahmed al Ahmed tackling one of the gunmen and taking the rifle
| X"When he saw people lying on the ground and the blood, quickly his conscience pushed him to attack one of the terrorists and take away his weapon.
Jozay Alkanji, Mr al Ahmed's cousin, speaking while he was leaving the hospital in Sydney on Monday evening, said: "He's done the first surgery. I think he's got two or three surgeries, that depends on the doctor, what he says."
Tributes have poured in from leaders around the world, with US President Donald Trump calling Mr al Ahmed "a very, very brave person" who saved many lives.
Chris Minns, the premier of New South Wales, meanwhile hailed him "a genuine hero" and said the video was "the most unbelievable scene I've ever seen".
Outside St George Hospital in the Sydney suburb of Kogarah, where Mr al Ahmed is being treated, strangers came to show their support.
Yomna Touni, 43, who is raising money to help Mr al Ahmed’s recovery said: “He potentially saved many people yesterday, and that, for us, from an Islamic perspective, is to have saved all of mankind, you know.
"Killing one person is like killing all of mankind, and that's what those terrorists did."