Queensland Police have revealed more details about the extensive weaponry found at the scene of last week’s deadly shooting – as they ruled out classing the ambush as domestic terrorism.
Queensland police Deputy Commissioner Tracy Linford said there was nothing in the criminal history of the three police killers that would have raised any “flags” before last week’s attack that left two officers and a neighbour dead.
A day after Constables Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow were farewelled in an emotional public service – and on the day of the funeral for the third victim, neighbour Alan Dare – Deputy Commissioner Linford gave an update on the multidisciplinary investigation into the December 12 Wieambilla shooting that has rocked Australia.
“We knew very little about the Trains” prior to last week’s routine investigation of a missing person’s report that led four young officers to the trio’s remote property, she said on Thursday.
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Deputy Commissioner Linford said Nathaniel Train’s only police record was an outstanding warrant after an incident on December 17, 2021, when he left two firearms registered in his name unsecured at the Queensland/NSW border.
She said Mr Train was a registered firearms licence holder at the time. His licence was removed after that incident, in which it was alleged he snuck illegally across the border from NSW into Queensland during COVID, carrying loaded guns and military knives.
A Goondiwindi farmer reported the ‘sketchy’ encounter to police after coming across Mr Train and his broken-down vehicle on a flooded road near the border.
Deputy Commissioner Linford said the only criminal record for Mr Train’s brother Gareth was a 1999 offence for unlawfully possessing a firearm.
There was no criminal history or intelligence for Gareth Train’s wife Stacey – the third member of the deadly trio.
All three died in last Monday’s shootout with heavily armed police.
Deputy Commissioner Linford said police were not aware of Gareth and Stacey Trains’ conspiracy-laden YouTube channel when they headed out to the isolated Wieambilla property to check out a missing person’s report about Nathaniel Train.
“That report came from his wife in NSW, who had not physically seen him in over 12 months. She had not spoken to him on the phone since May,” she said.
“She had a genuine concern for his welfare and as a consequence of that she reported him missing to the NSW police, who relayed a request to Queensland police to attend the address in Wieambilla to see if he was there.”
She said Queensland police did a routine check after receiving the request, uncovering the outstanding warrant for Mr Train.
“In the scheme of things this was a run-of-the-mill policing job,” she said.
She said all four officers – Constables McCrow and Arnold and Constables Keely Brough and Randall Kirk, who survived the shooting – went to the Trains’ property together.
Constables McCrow and Arnold died in the ensuing firefight. Mr Dare was shot after coming to the Trains’ property to investigate the gunshots.
Deputy Commissioner Linford said the investigation into the deadly ambush was multidisciplinary, with many teams involved. It is being led by the ethical standards command but there is also a parallel homicide investigation.
She said police had seized six firearms from the property.
Two were registered to Nathaniel Train. Three were unregistered.
Police are still investigating who the sixth weapon belongs to.
They also found three compound bow and arrows, and three knives.
Asked if police were considering classifying last week’s shooting as domestic terror event, she said:
“We are not classifying it as a domestic terror event at this point.
“What we can see is sentiment displayed by the three individuals, the three Train family members that was anti-government, anti-police, conspiracy theorist … but we can’t see them connected to any particular group they were working with.”
On Wednesday, olice in their hundreds, Queenslanders in their thousands and political leaders from across the spectrum gathered at Brisbane Entertainment Centre for a heart-wrenching memorial service for Constables McCrow and Arnold.
The two were recognised for their bravery and dedication, posthumously awarded the Queensland Police Valour Medal, Queensland Police Service Medal, National Police Service Medal and National Medal.
“Matthew and Rachel are colleagues and friends who have been taken from us far too soon,” Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said.
Mr Dare’s funeral was to be held in Ipswich on Thursday afternoon.
-with agencies
