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Deadly siege family raised no red flags before shooting, police say

Wieambilla gunman Nathaniel Train was a wanted man and police had repeatedly visited the isolated Queensland compound where six people including two officers were shot dead, looking for him.

Dec 22, 2022, updated Dec 22, 2022
Nathaniel Train, aged 46, was last seen in Dubbo on Thursday December 16, 2021, however, he remained in contact with his family until Sunday October 9, 2022. (Image: NSW Police)

Nathaniel Train, aged 46, was last seen in Dubbo on Thursday December 16, 2021, however, he remained in contact with his family until Sunday October 9, 2022. (Image: NSW Police)

A warrant was issued for Train’s arrest after the former school teacher crossed the Queensland border during the Covid-19 pandemic on December 17 last year armed with multiple registered firearms.

His brother Gareth Train’s only history with Queensland Police was an offence of unlawful possession of a firearm dating back to 1998.

Stacey Train had no criminal history.

All three were killed in a gunfight with police at the Wieambilla property on December 12, following the shooting deaths of constables Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold, and neighbour Alan Dare.

“We knew very little about the Trains and there was nothing that would have caused a particular flag for our members who attended on that day,” Deputy Police Commissioner Tracy Linford said on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, Queensland coroner allowed investigators to release limited facts about the ongoing investigation at a special briefing.

Police subsequently confirmed Nathaniel Train was wanted after becoming bogged crossing into Queensland, damaging a border gate before leaving two guns behind during the December 17, 2021 incident.

“Police did try and go to the property to locate him to have a discussion with him about … that day and why he was crossing the border, and why he left two firearms behind,” Linford said.

Their initial attempts, in August this year, were unsuccessful.

“There was nothing to indicate to them that Nathaniel was at that address,” she said.

The four constables who attended the Wieambilla compound on December 12 were able to identify there was an outstanding warrant relating to the December 2021 incident.

They were sent there after a missing person’s call from Nathaniel Train’s wife to NSW police, who sent a request to QPS.

Linford said it was a “run-of-the-mill” request for the police.

“We didn’t have any flags that raised concern to us about these individuals. They’re not somebody who was on our watch list.”

Detectives are still to determine a motive for the shooting deaths of constables McCrow and Arnold and the attack on their two colleagues, and are examining links to online extremist conspiracy groups.

“We’re creating a timeline of everything we knew in our policing system,” Linford said.

“We’re trawling through their bank accounts, looking at what purchases they made.

“There were postings to particular social media sites but we haven’t found any connection to any particular issue, motivated group.”

Police have also confirmed six firearms have been seized from the Wieambilla property – two registered to Nathaniel Train, three unregistered and one of unknown ownership.

Compound bows and arrows, and knives were also found.

The details come a day after a moving ceremony to farewell the two fallen offices where Police Chaplain Jeffrey Baills encouraged people to seek help if they were in need.

“We have had a major attack on the police in Queensland but, ladies and gentlemen, I want to say to us today: We will not be broken,” he said.

The two officers were awarded posthumous valour medals at the ceremony.

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