Ambush at Wieambilla that killed 2 police officers took place in space of minutes

New audio has emerged of police storming the property where an ambush attack killed two officers and left another two running for their lives.

13/12/2022: An aerial view of the scene at a property in Wieambilla where the shooting took place. Source: Nine

The graphic details of a deadly ambush attack on a group of young Queensland Police officers have been revealed, with audio of police radio revealing the struggle to storm the property.

Four officers, all aged under 30, were called to Wains Road in Wieambilla, about four hours drive from Brisbane, to conduct a welfare check on Monday afternoon.

Within minutes, two of them would be dead, and a third shot and a fourth running for her life into the bushland.

New audio from police radio has captured what officers responding to the killings of their colleagues were confronted with while storming the property.

“We believe that person of interest two may be discharging rounds. Shots fired,” a male officer is heard saying.

“It appears that POI2 is attempting to reload. POI 1 potentially taken a round here,” he says at a later time.

““POI1 no movement, no movement from number two and appears to be blood on the ground.”

“POI1 no movement, no movement from number 2 and appears to be blood on the ground”

A crew each from Tara and Chinchilla police stations arrived at the remote property about 4.40pm, and a source close to the investigation told NCA NewsWire what unfolded next was “very, very rapid”.

Constable Rachel McCrow, 29, and Constable Matthew Arnold, 26, arrived in the first vehicle, and met up with a second car containing Constable Keely Brough and Constable Randall Kirk, both aged 28, before approaching the property.

Constable McCrow and Constable Arnold then honked their horn to alert the residents of their presence.

When there was no movement from inside the house, the four officers got out of their cars and approached the house.

Constable McCrow and Constable Arnold jumped over the locked fence, with the other two following behind.

Seconds later, a shower of bullets descended on the four officers, believed to have been fired by missing NSW principal Nathaniel Train, his brother Gareth and Gareth’s wife Stacey Train – a former teacher at Tara Shire State College.

Constable McCrow and Constable Arnold were instantly hit, and fell to the ground.

An aerial view of the scene at a property in Wieambilla where the shooting took place. Picture: Nine

Constable Rachel McCrow, 29, was one of two Queensland police officers murdered in cold blood during an ambush on a property in Wieambilla on the Darling Downs yesterday. Picture: Supplied

Constable Matthew Arnold, 26, was one of two Queensland police officers murdered in cold blood during an ambush on a property in Wieambilla on the Darling Downs yesterday. Pic Supplied.

NCA NewsWire understands Constable Kirk was also shot in the leg in the same hail of gunfire, but managed to make it back to his police car as he hadn’t jumped the fence.

The offenders gave chase and fired into his car as he drove away, calling for help, causing him to become showered in shards of glass.

As the assailants tried to hunt down Constable Kirk, his colleague Constable Brough had managed to escape on foot into dense scrubland.

The road leading into Wains Road at Wieambilla was on Tuesday closed off and being guarded by police. Picture David Clark NCA/NewsWire

The three offenders chased after her but not before they once again shot at the bodies of constables McCrow and Arnold as the pair lay on the ground, executing them in cold blood.

The trio then stole the dying officers’ guns and torched their car before resuming their chase of Constable Brough.

In their bid to lure her back into the open, the shooters set fire to the bush in a bid to smoke her out of the scrub.

Audio of police radio has revealed that officers on the ground

Constable Randall Kirk and his wife Breanna.

Keeley Brough had been in the Queensland Police Service for less than three months.

The road leading into Wains Road at Wieambilla is guarded by police on Tuesday. Picture: David Clark NCA/NewsWire

The offenders stole guns and possessions from the officers they shot dead and set fire to their vehicle. Picture: Nine

As Constable Brough tried to escape the assailants, she sent text messages to loved ones indicating she believed she would die and called colleagues for assistance to help constables McCrow and Arnold.

Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers said Constable Brough “did not know whether she was going to be shot or she was going to be burnt alive” during the ordeal.

“We know the fire was lit to try to bring Keely out and Keely was under the impression that if she stood up that she would be shot or she may be burnt alive,” he told NCA NewsWire.

Mr Leavers told ABC’s News Breakfast on Tuesday he also knew Constable Brough was “sending messages to loved ones saying she was at a point where she thought it was her time”.

He said Constable Brough was an “amazing young woman” who had been sworn in “just eight or nine weeks ago”.

“She was in contact with her other colleagues trying to assure them we could get support to go and assist their fallen colleagues at that point in time,” Mr Leavers said.

Neighbour Alan Dare was also killed at Wieambilla on December 12, 2022.

The house at 251 Wains Road at Wieambilla, owned by Gareth and Stacey Train.

The property remains a crime scene. Picture David Clark NCA/NewsWire

Neighbour Alan Dare, 56, who came to investigate the smoke he saw billowing from the nearby property at around 5pm.

Mr Leavers told NCA NewsWire that Mr Dare was shot in the back by the “murdering trio” and killed.

By 6pm, police had declared an emergency declaration zone encompassing the area between Chinchilla Tara Rd, Wieambilla Rd, Bennetts School Rd and Mary St.

Mr Leavers told NCA NewsWire the trio “fired at continuously throughout the duration” at a specialist police team of 16 officers tasked to retrieve constables McCrow and Arnold and extract Constable Brough.

Nathaniel, Gareth and Stacey Train were killed by the specialist police team at 10.30pm and Constable Brough was rescued and taken to hospital.

Originally published as Ambush at Wieambilla that killed 2 police officers took place in space of minutes