A Queensland coroner has ruled that the three members of the Train family who killed two police officers and a neighbour in 2022 were not terrorists, but were driven by shared persecutory delusions. The findings, released on Friday, come after a five-day inquest into the deaths of constables Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold, and neighbour Alan Dare.
The killers, Gareth, Stacey and Nathaniel Train, ambushed the officers at their remote property near Wieambilla, about 270km west of Brisbane, on 12 December 2022. They also shot dead Mr Dare before being killed in a shootout with police. Queensland police had previously labelled the attack an act of terrorism, but state coroner Terry Ryan said it was not possible to reach that conclusion.
Coroner Ryan found that the Trains were psychotically unwell and believed they were under attack. 'They believed war had reached their gates and they had to defend themselves against the evil attackers in accordance with God's will,' he said. He added that the officers' handguns were 'woefully inadequate' against the rifles used by the shooters, who were waiting in ambush positions.
The coroner recommended the Queensland government consider introducing mandatory mental health assessments for weapons licence holders. He noted that at least some of the firearms used were lawfully obtained and that Nathaniel Train, a former school principal and licence holder, was suffering significant mental illness at the time. Before the shootings, Nathaniel had been the subject of a missing persons report to New South Wales police.
In his findings, Coroner Ryan also commended triple-zero operator Katherine Beilby for her calm handling of a two-hour call with constable Keely Brough, who survived the attack. Outside the court, Judy McCrow, mother of one of the slain officers, expressed disappointment on behalf of the families. Police minister Dan Purdie said the government would carefully consider all recommendations to honour those lost and make Queensland safer.
