Online accounts sharing the name of one of the trio shot and killed by police at a regional Queensland property,after the fatal shooting of two officers and a neighbour,repeatedly shared views that Port Arthur was a false-flag event to “disarm” Australians.
Bearing the name Gareth Train — who along with wife Stacey owned the Western Downs property on which the“execution-style” killing of police occurred on Monday — the accounts had been active in fringe online communities as far back as September 2020.
Then,the account had commented on a “your rights and the police” post on a sovereign citizen conspiracy site saying he had “directed law enforcement to leave my premises over the last 20yrs”.
“At times have also asked them to remove their hands from their weapons or pull their pistols and whistle Dixie. Fortunately for me,they have all been cowards,” the account wrote.
“Our country is at a point where even cowards are now dangerous because they are unpredictable in groups,turn your back and you may find yourself out cold on the floor with law enforcement dancing on your head.”
An account bearing that name had also posted repeatedly on another conspiracy news site,including references to the 1996 Port Arthur massacre as a “false-flag” operation to “disarm the Australian population”.
The account had also posted about researching conspiracies since the 1990s,“homesteading” in rural Queensland,shared mistrust in police and suggested the owner had formerly worked in the state’s child protection system.
Monday’s events unfolded at the Wieambilla property,about three hours west of Brisbane,after four young police officers were tasked with following up NSW police request about Train’s brother Nathaniel,a former school principal across both statesmissing since October.