Constable Rachel McCrow, 29, and Constable Matthew Arnold, 26, were two of six fatalities in a siege on December 12 2022 that led to the deaths of civilian and neighbour Alan Dare, 58, and the orchestrators of the shooting, Nathaniel, Gareth, and Stacey Train. As an outpouring of grief filters through the Queensland police community, the authorities are a step closer to discovering how a standard call-out for a missing person could have ended up in a gunfight that cost six lives.
The ABC reported on Tuesday that the call-out was a “calculated and targeted execution.” The outlet also notes that the authorities are investigating whether the call about Nathaniel’s ‘disappearance’ was a lure. Commissioner Katarina Carroll has said that Gareth, Nathaniel, and Stacey’s online activities will be examined.
A Devout Religious Father
In the last 48 hours, more information about the shooters has come to light and revealed a twisted dynamic between the three deceased police killers. An article by 9Now shows that Nathaniel walked away from his job as a school teacher. It was his disappearance that Rachel McCrow, Matthew Arnold and their two surviving colleagues were inquiring about when the shooting occurred.
Gareth and Nathaniel’s father is Ronald Train, a retired pastor and a profoundly devout religious man. He mentioned on a Facebook post after Nathaniel went missing in New South Wales that he had not seen his youngest son (Nathaniel) in 23 years. He said he was “much loved.” Ronald Train also said that Gareth loved guns whereas Nathaniel did too, but not to the same degree.
It is believed that the attack was motived by Christian Fundamentalism and a deep dislike of police.
Nathaniel: The Missing Teacher
Nathaniel worked as a former principal at the Walgett Community College Primary School and teacher across New South Wales and Queensland schools. His students loved him, and he felt the same about them. However, one of the parents, whose child was one of his students, said that he had suffered a bike accident several years ago and had to wear a prosthetic leg.
His career ended in primary school teaching after he suffered a heart attack in mid-2021. New South Wales parliament heard in May 2022 that Nathaniel had sent 16 emails over the span of two weeks to the Department of Education about alleged NAPLAN cheating at the last school he worked at.
Mark Latham, the leader of One Nation, supported Train’s attempts to get answers during this time. Furthermore, October 9 2022, was the last time Nathaniel’s family heard from him. He was reported missing on December 4 2022, and a Missing Person alert was put out for him. Ultimately, this is what prompted the events of Monday’s shooting.
Gareth: The Conspiracy Theorist
Gareth Train was well-known for posting to conspiracy theory websites. He also had zero respect for the police. This contrasts with Nathaniel, who wanted everyone to follow the rules. Gareth also did not trust the government, and this belief was pushed onto his younger brother.
The elder Train brother believed that the 1996 Port Arthur massacre was an inside job orchestrated in Canberra and that drones were tracking Australians. Gareth also had written ramblings about the CIA, ASIO and the COVID-19 vaccine. He even called Annastacia Palaszczuk’s government “Annastazi”, a nod to the Stasi, a Cold War East Germany state security service.
Gareth had been writing about “ark homesteading,” according to 9News. “for the last five years.”
No Chance Would The Officers Have Survived The Shooting
Commissioner Carroll said the police officers did not stand a chance, according to the Guardian. There was no intelligence to suggest a threat was imminent. For two officers to survive is a miracle. Moving over to Stacey Train, she, like Nathaniel, worked in the education system, as did Gareth.
Stacey and Gareth had two children, now in their twenties. Mrs Train also shared her husband’s interest in conspiracy theories. Her focus was on the COVID vaccine, according to the Daily Mail.
Moreover, the Trains attempted to smoke Constable Keely Brough out of hiding after she used the grass as coverage. She had only been in the Police Force for eight weeks, having only recently graduated from the academy.
The Love Triangle Between Gareth, Nathaniel And Stacey And The Cult Allegations
According to news.com.au, the Trains were caught up in a love triangle. But is unclear if it was the trio or just the brothers. A Train family member told a woman named Margaret, who previously occupied the house; the Trains lived in, that the house now had tunnels and was surrounded by barbed wire. According to Margaret, the place had become something close to a cult. It has also been alleged that Gareth and Nathaniel took ice in the lead-up to the attack.
It is alleged by The Guardian that Gareth and Stacey Train posted a video under their middle names and that Gareth is believed to have said in this video, “They came to kill us, and we killed them.” They also referred to the police as “devils and demons.”
