Overview
- At Colel Chabad’s Manhattan gala, al-Ahmed received a standing ovation, embraced Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, and was recognized for disarming a gunman during the Dec. 14 attack.
- Investor Bill Ackman presented him a menorah inscribed “Light will win” and donated $180,000 to Colel Chabad in his honor.
- Before the gala, al-Ahmed and Ulman prayed at the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Ohel in Queens ahead of meetings planned in New York and Washington.
- In a CNN interview, he said he acted out of basic humanity, explained why he did not fire the seized weapon, declared he “spilled my blood for Australia and for humanity,” and said he would like to meet President Donald Trump, whom he called “a hero.”
- He traveled to the U.S. for specialist care after multiple surgeries, shared that FBI agents escorted him at airports, and continues recovery supported by roughly $2.5 million in public donations.