Queensland’s off-grid cop killers: How conspiracy theorist trio ambushed police in Australia’s first domestic ‘terrorist’ attack

Cop killers Stacey, Gareth and Nathanial Train 'weren't very sophisticated'. Photo / Queensland Coroners Court Handout

Off-grid living for Gareth, Nathaniel and Stacey Train involved lots of books, plenty of toilet paper - and barricading their Queensland home ahead of a “religiously-motivated terrorist attack”.

A five-week inquest into the December 2022 deaths of six people at the Trains’ remote Queensland property in the Western Downs area, west of Brisbane, is ongoing.

It will soon explore what motivated the Trains and the events that led up to the fatal shootings at Wieambilla that shocked the nation.

However, a glimpse into the Trains’ lifestyle has already been revealed in the Brisbane Coroners Court.

Senior Sergeant Kirsty Gleeson, a forensic co-ordinator who investigated the shootings, was one of the first to form a view.

“I wouldn’t say they were very sophisticated,” she told State Coroner Terry Ryan this week.

Gareth, 47, and Nathaniel, 46, were brothers. Gareth was married to Stacey, 45, who was Nathaniel’s ex-wife.

This tendered image shows a barricade and sniper positions were set up months before the killings. Photo / Queensland Coroners Court Handout

Together they ambushed and shot dead Constables Matthew Arnold, 26, and Rachel McCrow, 29, plus neighbour Alan Dare, 58, before they were killed in a gunfight with tactical police.

It’s been described as the nation’s first domestic terror attack inspired by Christian extremist ideology.

Sen Sgt Gleeson arrived soon afterwards at the 107-hectare property.

The eight-room house appeared to be set up for “off-grid living”, boasting water tanks, solar panels and no main-line electricity.

Walking into the kitchen and past the spent bullet cartridges inside the house, Sen Sgt Gleeson found healthy food and toilet paper - lots of toilet paper.

“There was not a great deal of pre-packaged foods, a lot of non-perishable items,” she told the coroner.

“They stored a lot of toilet paper in their pantry cupboards.

“But there was, I guess you’d say, healthy living, healthy food in the kitchen.”

Queensland Police constables Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow. Photo / Queensland Coroners Court Handout

An item on the kitchen bench also caught Sen Sgt Gleeson’s attention.

It was a makeshift Faraday box, a container used to block electromagnetic fields and phone signals. There were six mobile phones inside.

Negotiators had tried to call the Trains’ mobile phones every five minutes at one stage during the six-hour police siege that followed the ambush, the inquest heard. Attempts to negotiate with the Trains were either ignored or answered with gunfire.

Inside the home, which had two bedrooms, there was not much furniture but plenty of reading material.

“They just had basic furnishings. There were a large number of books,” Sen Sgt Gleeson said.

More books were found in a hide, which could be reached by a well-worn track from the house. Photo / Queensland Coroners Court Handout

“Within the bedrooms, it was again sparsely furnished, not a great deal of personal effects within wardrobes or cupboards or drawers.

“There were a number of diaries that were located. A number of little letters, little notes throughout the house.”

Books were also found at one of the property’s other features - the main sniper hideout.

Located almost 200m down their dirt driveway, it featured a tent with a double mattress.

A copy of The Godfather novel was among the items found in the “hide”.

This 'Have A Nice Day" coffee mug was glued to a gate post near the entrance to the property. Photo / Queensland Coroners Court Handout

There was a well-worn track from the house to the sniper location, one of three “firing positions” on the property.

Other “defences” included a metal-wooden barricade across the driveway and three mirrors outside the house designed to impede the sight of intruders.

Satellite imagery revealed the sniper spots and barricade had been in place since at least October 2022 - two months before the fatal shootings.

Evidence suggested former primary school principal Nathaniel Train was at the main “hide” and used his high-powered rifle’s scope to track four officers.

Constables Arnold and McCrow arrived with two colleagues about 4.30pm on December 12 2022 for what they thought was a routine missing persons inquiry.

They jumped the fence. A coffee mug with “Have a Nice Day” written on it was glued to a front gate post.

Without warning, Const Arnold was shot in the chest and died.

Then Const McCrow was shot in the back and legs while trying to crawl to cover.

She pleaded with Gareth Train before he fatally shot her in the head at close range, the inquest heard.

The Trains started a fire to flush out the other officers who later escaped under heavy gunfire.

Good Samaritan Mr Dare was fatally shot when he arrived to investigate the blaze.

About six hours later tactical police shot dead the Trains within minutes of each other at the house after a gunfight.

“I never observed any actions by Gareth, Stacey or Nathaniel in a surrendering manner,” investigator, Detective Senior Sergeant Nathan McCormack, told the inquest.

“The only communication was that YouTube video (titled) ‘Don’t be Afraid’.”

Gareth and Stacey Train had shot and uploaded the YouTube video hours after the constables were killed, referring to police as “devils and demons”.

Only minutes earlier Stacey Train had emerged from the house to provide cups of coffee for the brothers after her husband fired at a hovering police helicopter.

Police at the time said the Trains committed a “religiously-motivated terrorist attack” influenced by the fundamentalist Christian ideology of Premillennialism, believing the world would end soon.

Cop killers Stacey, Gareth and Nathanial Train 'weren't very sophisticated'. Photo / Queensland Coroners Court Handout

The coroner heard Gareth Train might have had a mental illness that led to a “shared psychotic disorder” with his wife and brother.

An expert is expected to tell the inquest that the Trains were experiencing “identical persecutory and religious beliefs that met the psychiatric definition for delusions”.

“Covid seems, in many ways, to be a trigger for some of the events which occurred,” counsel assisting Ruth O’Gorman told the inquest.

In March 2020, Gareth Train began to post conspiracy theories on social media which appeared to be shared by his wife.

By August his brother adopted them, the inquest heard.

After the Trains posted the YouTube video, tactical police arrived.

Unlike the four ambushed constables, the specialist police response team was well aware of the looming danger.

“I thought ‘Who shoots police and just sits and waits?’,” Superintendent Timothy Partridge told the inquest.

The Trains were all firing at police when they were shot in the head - Gareth at 10.32pm, Stacey at 10.36pm and Nathaniel at 10.39pm.