Police Union Calls for Review of Australia’s Gun Licensing System After Deadly Ambush

Weapons that were handed in are seen at the Victoria Police Forensic Services Centre in Melbourne, Australia, on Aug. 11, 2017. Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

The head of the Queensland Police Union, Ian Leavers, says more coordination may be needed between the state’s separate gun licensing systems following the deadly ambush and killing of two police officers at Wieambilla, near the remote inland Queensland town of Chincilla.

The three perpetrators were found to have access to “considerable weaponry” at their property, including rifles and shotguns, a situation which has left police authorities searching for answers.

“That is a real challenge and that will form part of the investigation,” said Leavers in an interview with the Today show on Dec. 14.

“Weapons—they are not an issue in the right hands. But you need to look at the licencing system, the national database, and can we do better?

“Should it be better where people move from state to state? You need uniformity right across the board,” he said.

A supplied undated combined image obtained Dec.13, 2022 shows Constable Matthew Arnold (left) and Constable Rachel McCrow who were killed in an ambush at a remote Queensland property in Australia. Police have shot dead three people at a remote property on Queensland's Darling Downs after an ambush in which two officers and a bystander were killed. AAP Image/Supplied by Queensland Police

Australia first introduced strident gun regulations in 1996 after Martin Bryant killed 35 people with two semi-automatics at the tourist destination of Port Arthur in the state of Tasmania.

In response, the federal government rolled out a gun buy-back scheme (funded by extra tax revenue), which has seen ownership of guns drop by 48 percent since 1997, with an estimated 3.5 million guns now owned by Australians.

“In those same years, there’s also been a significant shift in the country’s gun culture,” said Associate Professor Philip Alpers, a specialist in firearm injury prevention at the University of Sydney.

Australian states and territories now operate individual licensing systems that restrict gun ownership to activities such as farming, pest control, recreational hunting, sport, animal welfare, and certain businesses.

The University of Sydney estimated in 2021 that there were currently 3.5 million registered firearms in the country (population over 25 million) with 868,000 owners.

The university also estimates there are 260,000 illegal firearms on the “grey market” or are undeclared.

Bullet holes on the front entrance of Canberra Airport in Australia's capital on Aug. 14, 2022. Police reported a man entering the main terminal and fired a gun at the glass inside. Martin Ollman/Getty Images

Leavers said authorities needed to consider whether the current system could be tightened.

“So we have the best system available, so we have the best intelligence, which will keep the community of Queensland and the rest of Australia safe.”

Ambush Leaves 6 Dead, Including 2 Officers

At around 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 12, four police officers were called to investigate a missing person report for a Nathaniel Train at a property on Wains Rd in Wieambilla.

Two young constables, Matthew Arnold, 26, and Rachel McCrow, 29, were hit with a “hail of gunshots” as they jumped a fence to access the house, according to Leavers.

The pair fell, forcing their colleagues to take cover, with one fleeing into the bushes around the property and the other towards the squad car.

“The ruthless, murderous trio have then gone and executed the two police, our fallen officers, who were on the ground. They have executed them in cold blood,” Leavers told ABC Radio National on Dec. 13. It is alleged the killer, dressed in camouflage fatigues, then made off with the officers’ Glock service pistols.

A neighbour, 58-year-old Alan Dare, was also gunned down and shot in the back after going out to investigate.

“That is just an absolute tragedy as well,” said Leavers.

The shooters then tried to flush out the female officer who had taken cover in the long grass by setting it on fire.

“She actually believed that she was either going to be shot or she was going to be burnt alive,” Leavers added, later saying the attackers were attempting to coax her into standing up so they could fire on her.

From her position, Officer Keely Brough called for backup and sent goodbye text messages to her family. She had just graduated from the police academy eight weeks earlier.

A local sergeant was able to respond to the distress call and arrived at the scene with 15 more police officers who worked to retrieve the bodies of the slain officers.

Members of the tactical police force and PolAir, the aerial support arm of the police force, were also dispatched.

A siege situation eventually ensued, and an emergency declaration was made encompassing the area of Chinchilla Tara Rd, Wieambilla Rd, Bennetts School Rd, and Mary Street.

By 10:30 p.m. the three attackers had been killed in a firefight with law enforcement.

It was later revealed that the two assailants were brothers Nathaniel Train (the subject of the missing person report) and Gareth Train. The third person is alleged to be Stacey Train, partner of Gareth.

Nathaniel Train was formerly a principal at Yorkeys Knob State School in Cairns and at Walgett Primary School in northern New South Wales. He was previously commended for improving the results of Indigenous students.