Qld police shooting: Cop killers may have used hidden cameras
Investigators are probing whether Queensland’s cop killers used hidden cameras around their property to track officers before slaying them, with the state’s police union boss saying a plan was put in place to “maim or murder”.
Police & Courts
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Police are investigating whether conspiracy theorist Gareth Train and former school principals Nathaniel and Stacey Train used cameras hidden around their property to track officers before gunning down two of them.
The trio are believed to have been prepared for the officers’ arrival, heavily armed with a multitude of weapons and ammunition, including rifles and a shotgun, with one wearing a ghillie suit.
It is understood the two brothers and Stacey ran from the house and shot at police, the police helicopter and into the BearCat armoured vehicle before being taken down by the elite Special Emergency Response Team.
Queensland Police Union boss Ian Leavers told NCA NewsWire after an inspection of the scene it was clear a “plan was put in place” to execute the horrendous attack before it happened.
Police officers Constable Matthew Arnold and Constable Rachel McCrow were murdered on Monday after they and two other colleagues went to the Trains’ western Darling Downs property on a routine missing persons inquiry.
They were looking for Nathaniel, who had been reported missing in NSW.
But the three opened fire on the unsuspecting police, killing two and wounding Constable Randall Kirk, who escaped in a police vehicle with an injury to his leg.
His partner, Constable Keely Brough, fled into the bush where she was pursued by the Trains, who lit fires and shot rounds into the trees to flush her out. She eventually made it to safety.
The Trains also killed their neighbour Alan Dare when he came to investigate.
“There was a sophisticated surveillance network which was put into place with plans and preparations by this ruthless murderous trio with a plan to murder police,” Mr Leavers said.
Theories, fires and killers: Qld’s cold-blooded ambush explained
“This (plan) was put in place to lure police in … to maim or murder them.
“There was certainly preparations and plans put in place that if police were to attend that address, that harm would come to them – which is exactly what has occurred.
“I do believe when Rachel, Matt, Keely and Randall went in there, their lives were all going to be in danger and they never had a chance.
“Fortunately, Randall and Keely have survived.”
The Wieambilla property was owned by Gareth and Stacey, although Stacey married Nathaniel in a service conducted by the boys’ father, Pastor Ronald Train, in the 1990s.
Stacey and Nathaniel have two adult children together.
Gareth, who had a hatred for police and posted frequently on conspiracy websites about vaccinations, the Port Arthur Massacre and chemical agents being dropped on cities, worked previously as a school groundskeeper.
Ronald had posted on a missing persons alert for Nathaniel revealing he had not seen his “much loved” youngest son for 23 years.
But on Wednesday, he said his two sons would now answer to God.
“There are five families that have been affected – mine, Stacey’s and the families of those three people who were murdered by my two boys,” Ronald said.
“We are asking questions, we don’t know why they did it, I cannot give you a response to why they have done what they have done.
“They have to be accountable for what they have done, but they can’t be brought to justice now because they are dead. But they will be brought to justice before God.”
Investigators are still examining the relationship between Nathaniel, Stacey and Gareth, with the trio appearing to have moved around Queensland as they were employed at schools.
Property records show Nathaniel and Stacey were living together in Toowoomba in 1998.
Nathaniel, Stacey and Gareth were then listed as living together at Bushland Beach in Townsville in 1999, with the trio also listed as living at the same house in Mount Sheridan, a suburb of Cairns, in 2004.
Stacey worked at Charters Towers State High School in 2004 and three years later spoke to media while working at Herberton State School.
The trio bought a property together in 2004 in Millstream that they sold in 2009.
And in 2015, Gareth and Stacey bought the Wains Rd property at Wieambilla where the police massacre took place this week.
Wieambilla resident Shelley Burgess, who was evacuated from her Wains Rd property on Monday, said she had never heard shots fired from the Trains’ property before Monday’s shooting.
She said she was within a kilometre of the property when she heard “consecutive” and “continuous” gunshots.
“We were oblivious until the police turned up, they jumped out and said ‘get in the car and get out, there are active shooters on the loose, you need to get out now’,” she said. “We only had a minute to get out. We were met by a police officer at the top of Wains Rd – you could tell he was physically distressed, but he was still trying to calm down my son Rhydah who is autistic.
“(Police officers) are human – they shouldn’t have to go to work not knowing if they are coming home.”
Constable Kirk underwent surgery on Wednesday.
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