Wild claims linked Wieambilla shooters to US extremist as man is arrested over cop killings

The Train family had a friend in the US who claimed to have offered them asyluym before they murdered two young Queensland police officers.

An online conspirary theorist living in a remote corner of the United States has been arrested over the murder of two police officers last year in a horrific ambush that shocked Australia.

Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow were killed on December 12 when they went to the remote Western Downs, Queensland, bush block to investigate a missing person’s report.

Gareth and Stacey Train. Investigators from the QPS Ethical Standards Command and the Security and Counter Terrorism Command traveled to the United States to pursue the investigation, leading to the arrest by FBI agents.

They were murdered, alongside good Samaritan neighbour Alan Dare, by a family of three extremist Christian conspiracy theorists who ambushed them with high-powered rifles.

Calling the slayings a “religiously-motivated attack”, Queensland Police said counter-terrorism officers flew to the US soon after the shooting to pursue any further threats after looking at the Trains’ online activity.

It’s alleged the arrested man made online threats in December 2022 which “incited violence” in relation to the officers’ murders.

Police in the United States have arrested a 58-year-old man in connection with the murder of two police officers, Matthew Arnold (pictured) and Rachel McCrow, and a neighbor, Alan Dare, in a remote area last year.

Queensland police officer Constable Rachel McCrow (L) was killed at Wiembilla by the Train family

On Friday morning, FBI Agents arrested a 58-year-old United States national near Heber Overgaard, Arizona, in connection to the attack, a man known as ‘Don’ - who news.com.au established at the time had links to the couple.

“We know the offenders executed a religiously motivated terrorist attack in Queensland”, the police said.

“They were motivated by a Christian extremist ideology and subscribes to the broad Christian

fundamentalist belief system known as premillennialism.

“The motivation of the United States national is still under investigation by the FBI. The attack involved advanced planning, and preparation against law enforcement.”

She explained that Gareth Train followed the 58-year-old man on YouTube around May 2020. Gareth and the man began commenting directly on each other’s videos in May, 2021, police claim.

“Between May 2021 and December 2022 the man repeatedly sent messages containing Christian end of days ideology to Gareth and then later to Stacey,” she added.

Nathaniel Train. The cop killers’ victims were investigating a missing person’s report when they were ambushed and killed by a family of three extremist Christian conspiracy theorists armed with high-powered rifles. Picture: BRENDAN RADKE.

News.com.au established a link between ‘Don’ and the Trains in the days following the horrific shooting.

In an email rant to this reporter, Don claimed Gareth and Stacey Train turned down an invitation from him to relocate them to the US before they carried out the deadly ambush on the Queensland Police officers.

Stacey Train. A link was established between an Arizona preacher known as ‘Don’ and the attackers, Gareth and Stacey Train. Photo: Supplied

Instead, the man claimed, they stayed in Australia to “weather the storm”.

News.com.au reporters made the link between the Don, who ran a small-time anti-government YouTube channel, and the Trains through a series of videos and a letter.

The December 18 email, much of which is too incoherent or repugnant to publish, defended the Trains’ sinister actions and criticised media “hit pieces” on the trio.

‘Don’, pictured, claimed in an email that he had invited the Trains to relocate to the US before the attack but they chose to stay in Australia to ‘weather the storm’.

It also revealed that he offered the Trains asylum in the US amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I asked the Trains to abandon the hell that Australia has become and relocate to America … they chose to weather the storm of tyranny inundating their homeland and to fight against it,” Don said.

The email made it abundantly apparent that the Trains felt persecuted due to their views on the Covid-19 vaccine rollouts and mandates.

The email revealed that ‘Don’ offered the Trains asylum in the US, citing their opposition to Covid-19 vaccine mandates and their perceived persecution for their views.

“QPS pushed them to the brink – primarily because they refused to be vaxxed and spoke out against the vax,” the man said.

Stacey and Nathaniel – Gareth’s brother – had been school teachers, but their unwillingness to vaccinate ended their careers.

Stacey resigned from Tara Shire State School on December 16, 2021.

Sources close to the Trains have said Covid mandates and restrictions and subsequent unemployment further exposed Stacey to the troubling conspiracy theories held by Gareth.

The email was the first time the man known as Don publicly referred to the Trains by their real names.

Don (pictured) and Gareth Train created videos expressing hatred towards the police, fundamentalist Christian ideology, opposition to social credit systems, Covid-19 vaccine, and the media.

In a series of YouTube sermon-like videos from an account that has since been deleted, Don would refer to them by their online pseudonyms, Daniel and Jane – their middle names.

Don’s videos, and some created by Gareth, share themes of hatred of police and fundamentalist Christian ideology.

Other lengthy videos by Don, some of which mentioned Gareth and Stacey, showed he detested social credit systems, the Covid-19 vaccine and the media.

Don was addressed directly in a chilling video believed to have been filmed and posted by the Trains in the moments after they gunned down Constables Rachel McCrow, 29, and Matthew Arnold, 26, “execution-style”, along with their neighbour Alan Dare.

“They came to kill us, and we killed them,” Gareth said, shrouded in darkness with his wife Stacey at his side.

“If you don’t defend yourself against these devils and demons, you’re a coward.

“We will see you when you get home”, Stacey said.

“We’ll see you at home Don,” Gareth continued.

“Love you,” Stacey added before the video ended.

Don was irate to hear of their deaths.

News.com.au turned the email from Don over to police investigating the incident shortly after receiving it.

Investigations by the QPS and FBI are ongoing in Arizona.

– With NCA Newswire