“They’re holding up well. Eternally grateful they’re alive but incredibly saddened they saw two of their colleagues killed in front of them.

“It’s something I think that will never leave them for the rest of their lives.”

Kirk had undergone surgery to remove shrapnel and treat the injuries he suffered during the shooting.

Kirk,who has a young daughter with wife Breanna,is expecting another baby next month.

“I’m feeling fine,just a little sore,” Kirk said in a statement through the police union.

“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.”

Carroll held back tears as she described how she spoke with the families of McCrow and Arnold,and “everyone was crying”.

“They told me the wonderful stories about their children because their children were pretty amazing,” an emotional Carroll said.

“We’re talking about amazing young people having wonderful careers contributing to community safety,but popular good officers,just wonderful human beings,and I think that’s what cuts the most.

“It’s just so senseless and we’re having difficulty coming to terms with how this could be done to people who are out there every day looking after their community.”

Police were still continuing to investigate the scene at Wieambilla on Wains Road on Wednesday,as tributes continued to flow for McCrow,Arnold and Dare,in both the Tara and Chinchilla communities.

Carroll said it would take a long time for Queensland police and the community to heal.

“We will unpack these people’s lives not just in recent days and weeks,but years,talk to their friends,look at their online presence,talk to their families,to get a real insight as to what these people were up to in the last few years and months,” Carroll said.

More than $35,000 had been raised in an online fundraiser for Dare on Wednesday morning,to help his wife Kerry cover the costs of his funeral.

The pair were due to celebrate their wedding anniversary in coming days.

Locals at Chinchilla and Tara have continued to lay flowers at memorials on Wednesday,with Chinchilla florists selling out of flowers.