Aussie 'Egg Boy' donates $95k to Christchurch mosque attack victims

"Egg Boy" Will Connolly will give away the money for his legal expenses as he no longer needs to face court.
"Egg Boy" Will Connolly will give away the money for his legal expenses as he no longer needs to face court.

SYDNEY • An Australian teen dubbed "Egg Boy" for cracking an egg on the head of a controversial right-wing lawmaker said he has given almost A$100,000 (S$95,400) donated for his legal expenses to support victims of the Christchurch mosque shootings.

Mr Will Connolly, 17, came to prominence when he "egged" far-right Senator Fraser Anning at a news conference after Mr Anning had said letting "Muslim fanatics" migrate to New Zealand was the cause of the mosque shootings in March.

Police cautioned Mr Connolly over the incident but he quickly became a cause celebre, drawing support from all corners of the globe, including the backing of basketball star Ben Simmons.

Donations flooded in to fund his legal defence.

However, Mr Connolly said late on Tuesday he would give away A$99,922 that he had received because he was no longer required to face court. "I decided to donate all monies to help provide some relief to the victims of the massacre... it wasn't mine to keep," Mr Connolly wrote on his Instagram account. "To the victims of the tragedy, I wholeheartedly hope that this can bring some relief to you."

A lone gunman armed with semi-automatic weapons targeted Muslims attending Friday prayers on March 15, killing 51 worshippers and wounding dozens.

REUTERS

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on May 30, 2019, with the headline Aussie 'Egg Boy' donates $95k to Christchurch mosque attack victims. Subscribe