After two police officers and a Good Samaritan neighbor were gunned murdered in an armed ambush in Queensland, tactical police shot and killed three suspects.
Six individuals, including two police officers, were killed in a shooting at a remote residence in the Australian state of Queensland.
Constables Matthew Arnold, 26, and Rachel McCrow, 29, investigated complaints of a missing person at the residence.
However, as they approached the entrance, they came under fire from two heavily armed criminals wearing camouflage fatigues.
The ambush was met with backup and air support, and after a six-hour standoff, the two suspects and one other person were killed by gunfire.
A member of the public, a neighbor who attempted to assist the officers, was also slain in the original attack, and two additional police officers were hospitalized.
According to The Australian newspaper, one was grazed by a gunshot in the leg and was able to flee the house to raise the alarm, while the fourth hid in bushes to avoid the attackers.
The publication quoted a police source as stating that once the two officers had been badly injured, one or both of the gunmen stood over them and shot them “execution-style” as they lay on the ground.
They stated, “A witness described seeing two camouflaged individuals stand over them and fire again.” Then they drew their firearms.”
Local media said that the criminals were a 46-year-old former school principal named Nathaniel Train, his brother Gareth Train, and an unidentified woman. The Queensland police have not officially disclosed the identities of the perpetrators.
“Lives cut tragically short”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese referred to the tragedy as “a horrible and heartbreaking day for the family and friends of the Queensland Police officers who died in the line of duty.”
He stated, “I pay my respects to them. I also pay respect to their surviving comrades in arms… In addition, I honor Alan Dare, a neighbor driven by the impulse to assist who also perished in this catastrophe.
“Three lives cut tragically short. “This is a truly tragic day for everyone who loved these Australians.”
Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll stated that the fatal shooting in Wieambilla, located approximately 300 kilometers (186 miles) northwest of the state’s capital, Brisbane, was the worst loss of life in a single incident in recent years.
She swore that an investigation will be conducted into the deaths’ circumstances.
