The wife of slain Queensland man Alan Dare shared a touching Facebook post about the couple’s love story just hours before her husband was gunned down in a bloody ambush that has shocked the nation.
On Monday afternoon, Constable Rachel McCrow, 26, and Constable Matthew Arnold, 29, were executed in cold blood at a property in Wieambilla in the western Darling Downs, about three hours west of Brisbane.
Mr Dare – an innocent bystander who lived at a nearby property – was also shot in the back and killed after the 58-year-old arrived at the scene to investigate after hearing a commotion.
In a poignant twist, Mr Dare’s wife, Kerry, had taken to Facebook to pay tribute to her husband just hours before his death – and days before the pair’s 26th wedding anniversary.
She shared a string of meaningful dates about their relationship, revealing they had first met in 1981, started dating in 1994, got engaged in 1995 and tied the knot on December 14, 1996.
Tragically, the couple were due to celebrate their anniversary on Wednesday this week.
Mrs Dare also shared the words: “Still together. Always”.
The couple lived next door to Gareth and Stacey Train, who owned 251 Wains Road at Wieambilla, the scene of the massacre.
Gareth and his brother Nathaniel, a former primary school principal, were killed alongside an unnamed female suspect after a gunfight with police.
During a press conference, Queensland Police Commissioner Katrina Carroll paid tribute to Mr Dare, noting he “didn’t stand a chance” of surviving the attack, while Queensland Police Union president Ian Leaver said he had simply been “doing what was right to investigate and help someone” when he was murdered in cold blood.
The couple purchased their property in October 2003, with Gareth and Stacey Train buying the lot next door 12 years later in 2015.
Mr Dare is being remembered as a loving husband, father and grandfather, with tributes pouring in from across Australia.
Local paper The Toowoomba Chronicle reported that neighbours along Wains Road were shaken by the brutal attack, describing the situation as entirely unexpected for such a small, idyllic community.
“The death of six people is something our community will find hard to comprehend,” Western Downs Regional Council mayor Paul McVeigh told the publication.
“When incidents like this happen … in a small community where you can just about touch it, it’s quite scary for the community.”