Wieambilla police massacre inquest: Susie Forte’s message to families

The widow of a police officer murdered by a crazed gunman has sent a poignant message to the relatives of the Wieambilla police massacre.

Senior Constable Brett Forte’s widow Susie Forte

The widow of a police officer murdered by a crazed gunman seven years ago says she shares the “absolute heartbreak” of the families of those killed in the Wieambilla massacre after they spoke of similarities in the two shootings.

Inquests into the 2017 murder of Senior Constable Brett Forte and the 2022 murders of Constables Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold both explored how reports of gunfire were responded to in the lead- up to the police officers’ deaths.

Constables McCrow and Arnold were murdered on December 12, 2022, by a trio of doomsday conspiracy theorists during a routine missing persons inquiry.

The young officers, along with their colleagues Constables Randall Kirk and Keely Brough, went to the Wieambilla property of Stacey and Gareth Train to ask after Gareth’s brother Nathaniel, a former school principal who had been reported missing in New South Wales.

Instead, they were ambushed by the Trains, who believed that police were the enemy and had built a network of sniper hides on their bush block to lie in wait with high-powered rifles.

Senior Constable Brett Forte was slain by a crazed gunman

Constables McCrow and Arnold were killed, while their colleagues managed to escape.

The Trains also shot their neighbour Alan Dare when he saw smoke coming from their property and came to investigate.

They were later killed by specialist police following a lengthy shootout.

A five-week inquest into the deaths heard there had been eight “shots fired” reports to police in the area in the 12 months prior to the Wieambilla massacre.

Seven of those were made by residents of an adjoining property, including one 10 days before the murders in which the resident said someone had shot at his dog.

The man said he did not see or hear anyone. Police attended but an officer forgot to enter the job into the police system.

In 2017, gunman Ricky Maddison ambushed police at Ringwood, near Toowoomba, killing Senior Constable Forte.

An inquest into his murder heard about reports of automatic gunfire on the same road where Maddison ambushed police.

Slain police officers Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold

The reports were investigated but the information was not widely shared. Police changed procedures around investigating “shots fired” reports in 2024 – after the Forte inquest findings were published in 2023 and two years after Wieambilla.

Matthew Arnold’s mother Sue spoke of the similarities outside court following the Wieambilla inquest.

“It was … disappointing to hear the similarities to the 2017 murder of Toowoomba Senior Constable Brett Forte, especially in relation to ‘shots fired’ jobs not being properly recorded or investigated thoroughly,” Ms Arnold said.

“Why wasn’t Brett’s murder a catalyst for change?”

Senior Constable Forte’s wife Susie said she felt the “absolute heartbreak” of the families of those murdered at Wieambilla and was critical of the six-year delay between her husband’s death and the completion of the coronial process.

“Sitting in an inquest every single day, hearing the gruelling details about how their loved ones were murdered, is something I unfortunately can relate to,” she said.

“My sincere condolences go to all those who have been deeply affected by the events that occurred on the 12th of December, 2022.”

Originally published as Wieambilla police massacre inquest: Susie Forte’s message to families