'Egg Boy' donates $100,000 to families of Christchurch mosque shooting victims after lawyers waive fees
The Melbourne teen who came to be known as 'Egg Boy' across the world after he broke an egg on the head of the former federal senator Fraser Anning following his comments on the Christchurch mosque attacks is once again in the headlines.
17-year-old Will Connolly has stayed true to his promise to donate funds to the families of the victims from the deadly attack on March 15 that left 51 dead and another 50 injured.
Connolly found himself in trouble with the authorities after his now-infamous egging on Anning who had angered the public by claiming that a part of the blame for the mosque attacks could be pinned on the influx of Muslim immigrants into New Zealand.
But his actions made him a hero in the eyes of many, and soon, two GoFundMe pages were set up to raise funds that would go towards covering his legal fees.
In the end, the pages would raise close to $100,000, though the money would prove unnecessary after his lawyers offered to represent him pro bono.
Not willing to keep the money for himself, Connolly promised to donate all the proceeds towards the Christchurch Foundation and Victims Support, and on May 28, he followed through after navigating "a huge amount of red tape."
The 17-year-old confirmed the gesture in an Instagram post that has already surpassed 64,000 likes, writing, "For those of you who don’t know, there were 2 GoFundMe pages set up to help cover the cost of my legal fees and to 'buy more eggs.' Gratefully, Gordon Legal acted pro bono for me so I don’t have any legal fees."
"I decided to donate all monies to help provide some relief to the victims of the massacre... It wasn’t mine to keep," he continued, adding that he wanted to thank "every single person who donated to the money and made this possible."
He also expressed his condolences for those affected by the tragic shooting. "To the victims of the Tragedy, I wholeheartedly hope that this can bring some relief to you," he wrote. "Keep spreading the love."
The Daily Mail reported that, despite the threat of impending charges, Connolly was eventually just left off this past April with a warning for his actions. The news was greeted with celebration from those who had stood firmly by his side since the egging incident.
"Will wants to thank Victoria Police for their professionalism in their dealings with him and the speed of the resolution," read a statement from his lawyer, Peter Gordon. "Will is taking very seriously the formal caution he was given by police about his actions."
Prior to his donation, the 17-year-old was seen amongst the throng of disappointed Labor supporters at the party headquarters on federal election night as the second-term incumbent minority Coalition Government, led by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, won a third three-year term.
However, he is likely to have celebrated the fact that Anning, who had been a senator for Queensland since 10 November 2017, failed to get re-elected to the Senate in the election and will see his term end this coming June 30.