GoFundMe campaigns for the Bondi Beach mass shooting raise nearly $2 million

GoFundMe has launched a central fundraiser for victims of the mass shooting at Bondi Beach, Australia’s deadliest in 30 years. 16 people were killed in the shooting, including one of the two gunmen, and more than 40 were injured.

On Sunday afternoon, two gunmen opened fire at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. Mass shootings are rare in Australia, and last weekend’s events have left the country reeling. The Bondi attack was Australia’s worst mass shooting since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre that killed 35 people, an incident that prompted sweeping changes to gun laws. Australia is already working to further strengthen its gun control laws following the Bondi shooting.

Unfortunately, fraudsters are known to prey on people’s desires for such events by creating fake collections. These charity scams often claim to raise money for victims, but they have no real connection to those affected and have no intention of giving them money.

To counter this, crowdfunding platform GoFundMe has created a Bondi Beach shooting fundraiser certified by its Trust and Safety Team. Those wishing to help the victims of the Bondi Beach shooting can donate to these fundraisers, which are also backed by GoFundMe’s full refund guarantee if they are found to be fraudulent.

There are currently four fundraisers posted on the GoFundMe hub. The two are raising money to support the families of two victims killed in the shooting: 10-year-old Matilda and 41-year-old Rabbi Eli Schlanger. A third supported Ahmed al Ahmed, a 43-year-old shop owner who attacked and kidnapped one of the gunmen. He was shot several times in the arm, and is currently recovering in the hospital. The fourth fund collects money for both Ahmed and the families of the victims in general.

As of writing, donors have contributed more than AU2.8 million ($1.9 million) to the four GoFundMe campaigns combined, spread over nearly 48,000 individual donations. More than AU$2 million ($1.3 million) of this has been donated to Ahmed’s GoFundMe, with many donors also leaving messages of support from around the world.

“You showed us that Australia is home for all of us, and when it counts, we protect each other,” wrote contributor Zhen Liu.

GoFundMe often creates verified fundraising sites for high-profile events, as it previously did for mass shootings in the US.

Australians lined up to donate blood at the Town Hall Lifeblood Donor Center in Sydney the day after the mass shooting at Bondi Beach.
Credit: George Chan / Getty Images

Besides donating to fundraisers and laying flowers in Bondi, Australians have responded to the shooting by coming out in droves to donate blood. Long lines quickly formed at donation centers, breaking the previous Australian Red Cross Lifeblood record for the most blood, plasma and platelets donated in 24 hours.

“We’ve seen an amazing response from the community,” Australian Red Cross Lifeblood said on its official Facebook page. “Please consider donating blood or plasma in the coming weeks, as the need continues until January.”