‘Incomprehensible evil’: Hero police officers Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow remembered a year on from deadly shooting

Queensland police Constables Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow and innocent neighbour Alan Dare have been remembered a year on from the deadly Wieambilla attack.

Queensland police officer Constable Matthew Arnold who was killed in the Wieambilla terror attack.

The family of slain Queensland police constable Matthew Arnold have remembered his “bigger than life character” a year on from his murder during a religiously-motivated terrorist attack.

The statement was released by the Arnold family on the first anniversary of the Wieambilla shooting in southern Queensland when Constable Arnold and his colleague Rachel McCrow were executed alongside innocent neighbour Alan Dare by Christian extremists Gareth Stacey and Nathaniel Train at the family’s remote home.

Constable Rachel McCrow. Supplied

“The 12th of December 2022 is a day our family will never forget,” the statement read.

“A day when incomprehensible evil murdered our beautiful son and brother, for simply doing his job.

“Matt had no chance of survival on that day, and this makes his death so unfathomable. It is so cruel and unfair that we never got to say goodbye.

“We miss Matt’s laugh, kindness, empathy and willingness to help.”

“We wish we could count down the days until we see Matty again, instead we will live our lives as he would want, making him proud and ensuring no one forgets him and his sacrifice.”

Nathaniel Train, Gareth Train and Stacey Train property, at Wains Road Wieambilla. Picture: Liam Kidston

It was a run-of-the-mill day for Constable Arnold, Constable McCrow and two other officers from the neighbouring townships of Chinchilla and Tara, who were following up on a missing-person report related to teacher Nathaniel Train.

They did not know the Train home was heavily fortified with firearms and rigged with sniper holds, nor that Nathaniel’s brother Gareth was an online conspiracy theorist.

The officers hopped the front gate of the rural property after waving at security cameras. On approach to the home were ambushed by the trio. Constable Arnold died instantly while Constable McCrow was executed after being shot in the leg.

Alan Dare who died in a shooting at Wieambilla along with two police officers.

Accompanying officers Keely Brough and Randall Kirk, both 28, escaped the murderous rampage. Constable Kirk was shot in the leg but managed to return to his vehicle and get help, while new recruit Constable Brough hid for two hours in the scrub as the Trains lit fires, hoping to flush her out.

As the shots rang out, Alan Dare went to check on his neighbours and was innocently caught in the crossfire.

The Trains were all killed hours later by Special Emergency Response Team officers.

Queensland Police will hold a minute of silence across the state at 4.36pm, coinciding with the beginning of the attack, to remember their fallen colleagues.

A year on from the tragedy, the family of Constable Arnold, who was a triplet a day off heading home to Brisbane for Christmas, said he will be missed for a lifetime.

“We also miss his pranks, ability to be the first to the pub, burrito rolling skills, sarcasm, cheeky looks and well-known bear hugs,” the Arnold family said.

“Matt has been stripped of being able to attend shared triplet birthdays, family holidays and family occasions. We will miss him at these events for the rest of our lives.”

The shooting reignited the debate about firearms ownership in Australia, which came to a head on Wednesday when national cabinet agreed to a National Firearms Agreement after 30 years of debate. On the same day, Queensland Police and the US Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) announced an American conspiracy theorist from Arizona, Donald Day Jnr, had been charged over threats linked to the Wieambilla attacks.

An inquest into the killings is currently underway.