A man arrested in the US state of Arizona in connection with the religiously-motivated terrorist attack in Wieambilla last year sent the shooters “Christian end-of-days” ideological messages in the months leading up to it, police have revealed.
The 58-year-old, who can now be identified as Donald Day, was arrested near Heber-Overgaard, north-east of Phoenix, on December 1 US time as part of the investigation.
Alan Dare, Constable Rachel McCrow and Constable Matthew Arnold were shot and killed on December 12, 2022 in the rural Queensland community.
Stacey, Gareth and Nathaniel Train, who police say subscribed to a broad Christian fundamentalist belief system known as premillennialism, also died.
Speaking at a joint press conference with the FBI, Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Cheryl Scanlon said there was evidence the man and the Trains commented on one another’s YouTube videos.
‘We need to understand why’
Queensland police investigators from the Ethical Standards Command and the Security and Counter Terrorism Command had travelled to the US to work with local law enforcement and the FBI.
Assistant Commissioner Scanlon said the investigation had “a long way to go”, adding that police had not identified anyone else in Australia who had contact with the man who was considered to be of risk.
“None of this is possible without our partnerships and our relationships with others, and if it takes us across the world to do that, to have that reach given the impacts of the internet and the online world, then that’s the way it has to be.”
Deputy Commissioner Tracy Linford said earlier this year that there was “significant evidence of advanced preparation and planning” by the Trains ahead of the fatal attack.
Mr Dare’s widow Kerry Dare told the ABC she had not been told many details about the arrest.
“I’m surprised it’s taken them so long,” she said.
“I’m interested to see what they’ve arrested him for.”
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was asked about the arrest after today’s National Cabinet meeting, and said she had recently met with Mrs Dare.
“She’s obviously very distressed,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“The entire community in that region went through so much and I know it’s going to be a very trying time.”
Investigations are ongoing.
Source: ABC News
