Police have shot dead three people after an ambush at a remote property in Queensland’s Western Downs in which two officers and a member of the public were killed, bringing the total number of shooting siege fatalities to six.
It is with a heavy heart we confirm the deaths of Constable Matthew Arnold and Constable Rachel McCrow.
Just after 10.30pm on Monday, two men and one woman were fatally shot by police at the property on Wains Road in Wieambilla, about three hours west of Brisbane.
Earlier in the day, four police officers went to the rural property to investigate reports of a missing person, believed to be a former school principal from NSW, and were met with a hail of gunfire. Sources likened the scene to an ambush.
Police returned fire, but two officers were critically injured and died at the scene. A member of the public, believed to be a neighbour, who also responded to the gunfire was killed.
The officers who died were constables Matthew Arnold, 29, and Rachel McCrow, 26, both of Tara Police Station. The neighbour has yet to be named.
Another two officers were wounded when at least two gunmen opened fire at the property at 4.45pm. A female officer, in her first year and only a few weeks out of the police academy, managed to flee the scene and help raise the alarm.
Authorities said a siege situation then ensued at the property and specialist police officers and PolAir responded.
“Two males and a female were fatally shot during a confrontation with police shortly after 10.30pm,” police said in a statement early on Tuesday morning.
An emergency declaration remained in place on Tuesday morning for the Wieambilla area and a crime scene had been established at the property.
At 9.40pm (AEST) on Monday, Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll confirmed the deaths of the two officers and the one bystander but released very little detail on the incident because the offenders had yet to be taken into custody.
“Tragically, this is the largest loss of life we have suffered in one single incident in recent times,” Carroll said.
“Those officers paid the ultimate sacrifice to keep our community safe.
After an overnight police operation to remove the threat, Carroll revealed the names of the slain officers and said flags would fly at half mast across the state.
The missing school principal is believed to be Nathaniel Train, 46, whose brother Gareth and his wife Stacey had a property in the area. Police have yet to comment on whether they were the three others killed.
Circumstances surrounding the incident will be investigated by police and overviewed by the Ethical Standards Command on behalf of the coroner.
“I know the days and weeks ahead will be particularly difficult for families and the police family,” Carroll said.
Police Union president Ian Leavers said the shooting of the two junior police officers was an “execution”, adding it was a miracle the other officers were alive.
“It happened that quickly, I would say they were executed by these remorseless, ruthless killers,” he said.
“They showed no respect or any feelings for anyone at all. They murdered two of our colleagues and tried to murder many other police.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described “terrible scenes in Wieambilla and a heartbreaking day for the families and friends of the Queensland police officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty”.
“My condolences to all who are grieving tonight – Australia mourns with you,” Albanese wrote on Twitter.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Western Downs Mayor Paul McVeigh said the incident was a terrible tragedy.
Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, a former Queensland police officer, said it was “deeply distressing news” about “those police who have been murdered”.
Queensland Police Minister Mark Ryan used a late-night press conference to offer a prayer for all those involved.
Police declared an emergency situation about 6.15pm, attempting to contain the offenders in a cordon around large farming properties and gas fields.
Wains Road was closed, with the zone including the area between Chinchilla Tara Road, Wieambilla Road, Bennetts School Road, and Mary Street.
“Residents within the declared areas must remain indoors until further notice, and motorists and pedestrians are advised to avoid the area,” police said.
The sparsely populated area is home to several large properties and gas fields. It lies between the regional centre of Chinchilla, population 7068, and Tara to the south-west.
