The young officer injured in Queensland’s deadly police ambush this week has spoken out from his hospital bed, for the first time since Monday’s horrifying attack.
Constable Randall Kirk, 28, is recovering after surgery to remove shrapnel and repair injuries sustained after he was hit by intense fire from a host of weapons during the incident at Wieambilla.
“I’m feeling fine, just a little sore. My main thoughts are with the other police families at this awful time,” he said in a statement released by the Queensland Police Union on Wednesday.
Constables Matthew Arnold, 26, and Rachel McCrow, 29, along with 58-year-old neighbour Alan Dare, were gunned down in the shocking incident in Wieambilla, in Queensland’s Darling Downs about 300 kilometres west of Brisbane.
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Details of Wieambilla killers' extremist plot emerge
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Constable Kirk’s partner, 28-year-old Constable Keely Brough, escaped with her life after the trio of killers set bushland surrounding their remote home alight in an effort to flush her out.
The three attackers – Nathaniel Train, his brother Gareth and sister-in-law Stacey – died in the resulting firefight with heavily armed tactical officers late on Monday.
Constable Kirk said he was recovering well from his injuries, and expected to leave hospital soon to continue his recovery at home with his wife Breanna and their young daughter. The Kirks are expecting another baby in January.
QPU president Ian Leavers said the union would continue to support the family.
“Randall and Bree have been overwhelmed by the messages of support from everyone from the Prime Minister down,” he said.
Constable Kirk finished by asking for privacy for his young family “as we come to terms with this”.
His statement came as Queensland police continue to investigate whether the four young officers were lured to the rural property by killers with links to extremist online communities.
The police were investigating a missing person’s report from NSW Police about Nathaniel Train when they went to the Wieambilla address. Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said the “specifics” of the NSW request would form a large part of the investigation.
“The initial call from NSW, the initial missing person’s report, all of that will be investigated,” she said.
Ms Carroll said investigators would look at the killers’ possible extremist links after posts under the name of Gareth Train were uncovered on conspiracy theory forums.
The posts include references to anti-vaccine sentiments and claims 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,” Ms Carroll told ABC’s 7.30 on Tuesday.
“But within the next few days and the next few weeks, I have no doubt that we will come back … [with] some insight into what we believe took place.”
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Ms Carroll said every possible motivation for the killings was being looked at, 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 … their online presence, every aspect of this will be thorough,” she said.
“We will investigate their families, their friends, everything they have done in the last six months to a year … We will get to the bottom of this because we need to know what happened and why.”
She described the deadly shooting as “senseless and callous”.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese echoed her sentiments as he paid tribute to the slain constables and Mr Dare.
“This is not a price that anyone who puts on the uniform should ever pay. We can never count the true cost,” he said on Tuesday.
“My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of all those affected by this tragedy. With honour they served, and Australia mourns with you.”
-with AAP
