Gareth Train – who was killed alongside his brother and partner after the brutal slayings of two police officers and a neighbour – has been exposed as an online conspiracy theorist who hated cops and believed the Port Arthur massacre was a “false flag operation”.
On Monday afternoon, Constable Rachel McCrow and Constable Matthew Arnold were gunned down while carrying out a routine missing person inquiry at 251 Wains Rd, Wieambilla in Queensland’s Darling Downs region.
An innocent neighbour, Alan Dare, was also executed in the attack, with Queensland police commissioner Katarina Carroll confirming “a lot of ammunition and weaponry” had been found at the address.
Police have since confirmed that Gareth and Nathaniel Train were killed in a subsequent gunfight with Special Operations officers, as well as a third female suspect, believed to be Gareth Train’s wife Stacey.
According to property records, Stacey Jane Train and Gareth Daniel Train purchased the isolated, sprawling 43.51Ha property in February 2015 for $95,000.
It has since emerged that Gareth Train was a noted conspiracy theorist who regularly posted about his extreme views online.
An associate told The Guardian his descent into the world of conspiracy theories had been relatively recent, with Mr Train claiming the 1996 Port Arthur massacre was a false flag operation to “disarm the Australian population”, and repeatedly claimed the government was running “re-education camps”.
“Re-education camps are located at the end of the line. Monitoring the rail system will ensure no escape. Dissenters will find themselves catching the long black train,” he bizarrely posted under a 2021 article about QLD Rail’s surveillance capabilities, adding “beware of the boogie monster”.
He also voiced about his dislike for authorities, including the Queensland Special Emergency Response Team, and appeared to support the doomsday prepper movement.
In a disturbing post on Citizens Initiated Referendums, Train provided a chilling clue about the horror to come, writing about citizen’s rights and his hatred of authorities.
“I have directed law enforcement to leave my premises over the last 20yrs, having no reason or grounds and at times have also asked them to remove their hands from their weapons or pull their pistols and whistle Dixie,” he wrote.
“Fortunately for me they have all been cowards.
“Our country is at a point where even cowards are now dangerous because they are unpredictable in groups, turn your back and you may find yourself out cold on the floor with law enforcement dancing on your head. We are seeing this in Victoria.”
Police had arrived at the property on Monday afternoon amid concerns for Nathaniel Train’s welfare.
He was last seen in Dubbo in NSW on December 16, 2021, however, he had remained in contact with his family until Sunday October 9, 2022.
Nathaniel Train was a former school principal who officially left the NSW department of education’s employment in March this year, although he hadn’t worked at a school in the state since August 2021.
Before that time, he worked as a principal at a string of schools, including Yorkeys Knob State School, Walgett Community College Primary School and Innisfail East State School.
Meanwhile, Stacey Jane Train was listed as the Head of Curriculum at nearby Tara Shire State College as recently as 2019, and was also the representative of the Western Downs branch of the Queensland teachers union.