'Never stood a chance': Young cops gunned down in 'execution-style' massacre

Two officers, three alleged offenders and a member of the public have been shot dead in a series of shootings northwest of Brisbane.

Two officers, three alleged offenders and a member of the public have been shot dead in a series of shootings northwest of Brisbane.

Two police officers, one member of the public and three alleged murderers have died in a series of shootings northwest of Brisbane. 

Queensland police officers had been called to a Wieambilla property on Monday afternoon to investigate missing person Nathaniel Train - a primary school principal who had disappeared more than a year ago. NSW Police had called in a request for their Queensland colleagues to investigate Train’s potential reemergence on his brother’s property.

Once four officers had arrived at the scene to begin their investigation, two of them — Constable Rachel McCrow, 29, and Constable Matthew Arnold, 26 — were fatally shot by two armed offenders as they approached the property.

Constable Rachel McCrow, 29, and Constable Matthew Arnold, 26.

The alleged offenders - Mr Train, his brother Gareth Train and Gareth’s wife Stacey - were later shot dead by police.

A 58-year-old man from a neighbouring property - since identified as Alan Dare - was also shot while investigating a car fire on the premises. Another man who was with him reportedly ran to safety.

Constable Arnold was sworn in as a police officer in March 2020, while Constable McCrow was sworn in last year in June 2021. They both worked out of Tara Police Station.

An aerial view of the scene of the crime. Picture: Nine.

Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said officers Arnold and McCrow were highly respected, and had "passion for policing and for serving their community".

Ms Carroll, speaking at a press conference in Chinchilla, held back tears as she spoke about the "unimaginable tragedy" adding that the two police officers "did not stand a chance". 

"Both under 30 years of age. Both had wonderful careers and lives ahead of them," she said. 

"Yesterday, as they did every day, they put their lives on the line to serve their community. In this awful incident, they made the ultimate sacrifice. Sadly, both Matthew and Rachel had only recently commenced their policing careers."

It is with a heavy heart we confirm the deaths of Constable Matthew Arnold and Constable Rachel McCrow.

Their lives were cut tragically short in the line of duty at Wieambilla yesterday.

With Honour They Served. pic.twitter.com/XIahH0zGUX

— Queensland Police (@QldPolice) December 12, 2022

Police killer's bizarre conspiracy theories

A gunman who killed two police officers in a shootout in western Queensland on Monday had posted conspiracy theories online including that the Port Arthur massacre was faked by government to enable a crackdown on gun ownership.

Internet searches show that Gareth Train was a prolific author of bizarre conspiracy theories about Port Arthur, the Catholic Church and against police.

In one post on “Citizens Initiated Referendums”, he described convicted Port Arthur shooter Martin Bryant as the “perfect patsy” and that the 1996 mass killing of 35 people was staged.

“Anyone who watch the live media coverage at the time (1996) and was aware of the political deceit lead up, knows that this was a Government Psychological Operation to disarm the Australian population,” he wrote.

“Martin was the perfect patsy. The Australian government is guilty of mass murder, it’s not the first time and won’t be the last. Joint operation CIA, MI6, Mossad, ASIO and the Australian SASR.

“The MK special operator (shooter 1) gave the game away in a recorded phone conversation dropping the operation name JAMIE. ‘Jamie’ is not shooter 1’s name nor did he make it up on the spot, he was dropping the code name to be clever.”

Nathaniel Train.

And in an ominous post, Train wrote of warning police about coming to his property.

“I have directed law enforcement to leave my premises over the last 20yrs, having no reason or grounds and at times have also asked them to remove their hands from their weapons or pull their pistols and whistle Dixie,” he said.

“Fortunately for me they have all been cowards.

“Our country is at a point where even cowards are now dangerous because they are unpredictable in groups, turn your back and you may find yourself out cold on the floor with law enforcement dancing on your head. We are seeing this in Victoria.”

In posts to the Cairns News site in November, last year Train wrote about the Jesuit World “Order” when discussing protests against Covid pandemic lockdowns.

“How did we get here”,’’ he wrote.

“Intelligence operation after intelligence operation, false flag after false fla, instilling fear into a retarded populous distracted by sports and beer to install totalitarian corporate Jesuit government muppets.”

Surviving cop ‘sent frantic texts’

The two police officers who survived Monday’s ambush were Keeley Brough, 28 and Randell Kirk, 27.

Constable Brough fled into surrounding scrub and narrowly escaped with her life despite the gunmen lighting a bushfire in a bid to flush her out. As she hid, Ms Brough sent frantic text messages to loved ones as she prepared for the worst.

Constable Keeley Brough hid in the bushes while the gunmen killed her colleagues.

She was eventually rescued by a 16-strong extraction team of police who also ­recovered the bodies of the two murdered officers.

“The female, she took cover in long grass, and these people showed no compassion in any way, shape or form,” Queensland Police Union President Ian Leavers said.

 “They actually lit the grass on fire to try and have her stand up, so they could shoot her dead. And she did not know whether she was going to be shot or she would be burnt alive.

“I do know she was sending messages to loved ones saying she almost thought it was her time. What was going through her mind, one cannot comprehend.”

Ian Leavers, Qld Police Union, Chinchilla Police station. Picture: Nev Madsen.

A bullet is understood to have grazed Mr Kirk’s leg before he managed to ­escape and raise the alarm, The Australian understands. He is now recovering in hospital.

In a local newspaper interview after he moved to Chinchilla in December 2020, Constable Kirk said he was excited and keen to support the Chinchilla community any way he can.

“It’s a great country town, the people here are welcoming, approachable, and friendly – it’s great,” he said.

Randell Kirk, one of the police officers on the scene.

Neighbour Alan Dare (pictured with his wife) was also shot dead on the property.

Police helicopter fired on

Three ambulance crews and a police helicopter round out the ­resources scrambled in response to the widening emergency that gripped the sleepy locale 290km northwest of Brisbane.

There were reports that the gunmen, armed with shotguns and rifles, had opened up on the police helicopter.

An exclusion zone was set up at 6.10pm under a public emergency declaration.

People in the area between Chinchilla Tara Rd, Bennetts School Rd and Mary St had been told to stay indoors.