A family of killers were “robotic” in response to efforts to get them to surrender, continuing to fire at police vehicles, an inquest into the Wieambilla massacre has heard.
Sert operative 114, a team leader of the police Special Emergency Response Team (Sert), described how an armoured BearCat vehicle was “rocked” as a volley of accurate gunfire hit the windscreen, which was bullet resistant but not bulletproof.
Most of the bullets hit on the left hand side of the windscreen, towards the driver.
“It’s a nearly 9.5 tonne car; it rocked,” he said. “I’d never experienced that before, the magnitude of the calibre that we were dealing with.”
That afternoon, on 12 December 2022, Stacey, Nathaniel and Gareth Train shot and killed two general duties police officers, Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow, after lying in wait at their property, west of Brisbane, the inquest has heard. They later shot their neighbour Alan Dare.
State coroner Terry Ryan is holding the ninth day of a five week-inquest into the incident on Thursday.
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Wieambilla shootings
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Nathaniel Train reported missing to NSW police. There is also a warrant out for his arrest on firearms charges. This is referred to Queensland police.
Gareth is informed by email about the missing person’s report and responds with a message including anti-police comments.
Job assigned to Chinchilla police, who seek assistance from Tara police. Four police travel to the property.
4.35pm
Constables Matthew Arnold, Rachel McCrow, Randall Kirk and Keely Brough arrive at 251 Wains Road, Wieambilla.
4.37pm
Nathaniel Train shoots Const Arnold dead from a prepared ambush position, known as a “hide”.
4.46pm
Const McCrow, who had been wounded by rifle fire, is shot dead at close range by Gareth Train. She pleads for her life.
5.30pm
Civilian Alan Dare killed by a gunshot to the torso from an unknown Train after going to the property to fight a fire. Wife Kelly is not told of the shooting incident during a 000 call.
5.30pm
Police issue public service preservation act warning for the Wieambilla area, banning civilian movement.
6.37pm
Const Brough rescued by uniformed police extraction team. They also remove bodies of McCrow and Arnold, but not Dare.
7.40pm
Police special emergency response team arrive and take over the police inner cordon.
10.39pm
Last of the Trains, Nathaniel, is killed by operators from the police special emergency response team. Massacre ends.
The inquest has earlier heard the Trains were armed with a .308 Winchester and a 30-06 Springfield rifle. Both high-calibre weapons were scoped, and operative 114 said they were able to fire them accurately at police.
The inquest has heard the trio believed a variety of conspiracy theories, expressed a dislike for police, and subscribed to a fundamentalist version of Christianity, believing in an extreme form of “premillennialism”.
The Trains were killed in a shootout with Sert officers.
Operative 114 later described efforts to negotiate with the three conspiracy theorists.
“It’s nothing I’ve ever seen where they were just in a sort of robotic … no gestures, didn’t wave out, didn’t yell anything out, just went about placing themselves in suitable positions to give lethal gunfire towards us,” he said.
The court yesterday heard audio of the last moments of the firefight, as police continued to try to negotiate with the final survivor, Nathaniel Train. Stacey and Gareth Train were killed by headshots from Sert operatives.
Wieambilla shooting
Police negotiator tells Trains to stop firing their weapons before Wieambilla shootout
Wieambilla shooting
‘Weapon down, hands up mate’: Police negotiator gives final warning to Nathaniel Train
Operative 114 described watching the man set down his rifle and grab a police-issued Glock pistol taken from the body of one of the dead officers earlier that day. He had taken cover behind a log barricade at the front of the property.
“It was like his last stand as he stood up to fire the Glock where he was ultimately engaged,” Operative 114 testified.
None of the Sert operatives can be identified for legal reasons.
The inquest continues.