A policeman who narrowly escaped with his life after three gunmen executed his colleagues during a shootout in rural Australia has spoken from his hospital bed.
Constables Randall Kirk and Keely Brough, both 28, survived the "hail of bullets" fired by former school principal Nathaniel Train, 47, his brother Gareth, 46, and sister-in-law Stacey, 45, at their property in Wieambilla, Queensland.
Sadly two of their colleagues Matthew Arnold, 26, and Rachel McCrow, 29, sustained life-ending injuries as did 58-year-old neighbor Alan Dare.
Kirk, who is expecting his second child with his wife next month, was grazed by a bullet and had to be admitted to hospital for doctors to remove the shrapnel embedded in his skin.
He is shortly to be released from hospital to return home with his partner Breanna.
The couple expressed their gratitude for the overwhelming messages of support, which included well wishes from the country's prime minister.
In a statement, Kirk said: “I’m feeling fine, just a little sore.
“My main thoughts are with the other police families at this awful time. It means a lot to know the community cares for us all.
“My wife and I have a young family and would appreciate privacy as we come to terms with this.”
Katarina Carroll, Queensland's chief of police, said the decision to send four cops to the rural home was in line with usual procedue and that the officers arrived feeling "very, very comfortable" about the job in hand.
Some have wondered whether the decision to send so many officers to the location came from concerns about who or what they might find on the estate.
“It is not unusual for two neighbouring stations to come together to respond to those jobs,” Carroll told The Guardian.
“That’s not unusual in this part of the world, because some of those areas are in remote properties, so it really is a BAU [business as usual] response."
Yesterday, Carroll added that investigators are looking into the extremist views of the Train trio after a number of posts made by Gareth Train were found on conspiracy theory forums.
The posts include references to anti-vaccine sentiments and claims that other high-profile shootings were hoaxes or false-flag operations.
"It's very difficult at the moment for us to reason with what has happened, there are no obvious reasons," Carroll told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
But she added she had no doubt that over the coming days and weeks, police would come back with some insight into the tragic events that unfolded.
Research and surveys show belief in conspiracy theories is common and widespread. Believers are more likely to to get their information from social media than professional news organizations.
The rise and fall of particular conspiracy theories are often linked to real-world events and social, economic or technological change.
Carroll said every possible motive for the killings was being examined, including whether it was a premeditated attack on the officers.
"Some of the stuff that's online from these people, we will investigate what they have been doing not only in recent weeks but in recent years, who they've been interacting with," she said.
Four officers arrived at the property in the town of Wieambilla, in Queensland state, to investigate reports of a missing person. They walked into a hail of gunfire, Carroll said, and it was a miracle that two officers managed to escape and raise the alarm.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese earlier told reporters in Sydney that the country mourned with those affected.
"This is, indeed, a devastating day for everyone who loved these Australians, and our hearts go out to those in the grip of terrible grief," he said. "We know that this news has fallen hard on a close-knit and caring Queensland community. As well as, of course, the community to which all police officers belong."
He said officers across the nation know the risks they face, yet do their duty.
"And today and every day I pay tribute to each and every one of the police officers who serve their local communities and who serve their nation," Albanese said. "This is not a price that anyone who puts on the uniform should ever pay."
In all, six people died in the violence Monday in Queensland state.
