Wieambilla police shooting: State Coroner to probe tragedy that left six dead

Just six months after two police officers and a civilian were gunned down in a “religiously motivated terrorist attack”, the State Coroner will open an inquiry.

The Wieambilla tragedy that claimed six lives is set to go under the microscope with a preliminary inquest hearing scheduled for this month.

State Coroner Terry Ryan will open the inquiry on June 15, just six months after two police officers and four civilians were killed in the mass shooting at a rural property on the Western Downs in December.

This month’s pre-inquest conference in the Brisbane Coroners Court is expected to consider plans for the inquest, including the issues the coroner will examine and the findings required.

Queensland Police Constables Matthew Arnold, 26, and Rachel McCrow, 29, along with civilian Alan Dare, 58, were killed in an ambush at a property outside Chinchilla on December 12.

Constable Matthew Arnold.

Constable Rachel McCrow.

The officers had gone to the rural property to find former school principal Nathaniel Train, who was at the address with his brother Gareth Train and his wife Stacey.

Queensland Police believe the officers and Mr Dare were killed by the Trains in a “religiously motivated terrorist attack”.

The three members of the Train family were later killed after a stand-off with officers from the Special Emergency Response Team.

Almost 200 witness statements gathered as part of the police investigation are likely to be included among the evidence put before the coroner as part of the inquest.

The house where Nathaniel Train, Gareth Train and Stacey Train were living at the time of the attack. Picture: Liam Kidston

This month’s pre-inquest hearing is listed to be heard in the Brisbane Magistrates Court’s largest courtroom, which has also been the venue for other major inquiries including into the Whiskey Au Go Go massacre.

In February this year, Deputy Police Commissioner Tracy Linford said extensive investigations revealed the Trains subscribed to Premillennialism and believed Christ would return to earth for a period of 1000 days after a period of widespread destruction.

Deputy Commissioner Tracy Linford provides an update about investigation into the shooting incident at Wieambilla. Photo: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail

“And our assessment has concluded that Nathaniel, Gareth and Stacey Train acted as an autonomous cell and executed a religiously motivated terrorist attack,” she said at the time.

Police believe the attack was planned in advance, with makeshift sniper hides stocked with ammunition found at the property.

The trio also dressed in camouflage, hung mirrors around the property to alert them to strangers, and had motion detecting trail cameras hung among the trees.