Coroner's Report Reveals Extremists' Psychotic Beliefs
A coroner in Australia has determined that three Christian extremists were suffering from an untreated shared delusional disorder when they ambushed and killed police officers they perceived as "demons" on a rural property. The tragic incident occurred three years ago in the Wieambilla region, west of Brisbane, Queensland.
The Fatal Ambush in Wieambilla
On December 12, 2022, the extremists – brothers Gareth and Nathaniel Train and Gareth's wife, Stacey Train – opened fire on four police officers who had come to their property. The officers were responding to a missing persons report for Nathaniel Train, a former school principal. The ensuing six-hour gun battle resulted in six deaths.
The trio killed two police officers, Constables Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold, and a neighbour, Alan Dare, who had approached the property after seeing scrub fires the Trains had lit. Another officer, Randall Kirk, was wounded, while a fourth, Keely Brough, hid for hours before reinforcements arrived.
Investigation Findings and Recommendations
State Coroner Terry Ryan, delivering his findings on Friday, November 21, 2025, accepted psychiatric evidence that the Trains each had an undiagnosed psychotic illness. The shared delusional disorder originated with Gareth Train and involved beliefs that the world was ending and that government figures, including the attending police officers, were evil demons.
"They were psychotically unwell and driven by their persecutory beliefs," Ryan stated. He rejected the notion that the ambush was an act of terrorism under Australian law, concluding instead that the trio were acting defensively within their distorted reality.
The coroner highlighted the firepower disparity, noting the police's Glock pistols were "woefully inadequate" against the Trains' high-powered bolt-action rifles. He also revealed that at least some of the weapons were obtained legally under Australia's gun laws.
Key recommendations from the report include:
- The Queensland government should consider mandatory mental health assessments for gun licence applicants.
- Police should assess using drones for risk assessments in remote locations before deploying officers on foot.
- Additional funding should be provided to the Queensland Fixated Threat Assessment Centre to better monitor individuals with fixated grievances.
Coroner Ryan expressed concern that Gareth Train's extensive online activity, conducted "in plain sight" in the years leading up to the attack, was not monitored by law enforcement.
