Current:Home > Contact-usArizona man charged over online posts that allegedly incited Australian attack in which 6 died-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Arizona man charged over online posts that allegedly incited Australian attack in which 6 died
View Date:2024-12-23 20:29:08
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A U.S. citizen has been charged in Arizona over online comments that allegedly incited what police describe as a “religiously motivated terrorist attack” in Australia a year ago in which six people died, officials said Wednesday.
Queensland state police officers Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold and innocent bystander Alan Dare were fatally shot by Gareth Train, his brother Nathaniel Train and Nathanial’s wife Stacey Train in an ambush at the Trains’ remote property in the rural community of Wieambilla last Dec. 12, investigators say.
Four officers had arrived at the property to investigate reports of a missing person. They walked into a hail of gunfire, police said at the time. Two officers managed to escape and raise the alarm.
Police killed the three Trains, who have been described as conspiracy theorists, during a six-hour siege.
FBI agents arrested a 58-year-old man near Heber Overgaard, Arizona, last week on a U.S. charge that alleged he incited the violence through comments posted online last December, Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Cheryl Scanlon said at a joint news conference in Brisbane with FBI legal attaché for Australia Nitiana Mann. Police did not release the suspect’s name.
He was remanded in custody when he appeared in an Arizona court on Tuesday. He faces a potential five-year prison sentence if convicted.
“We know that the offenders executed a religiously motivated terrorist attack in Queensland,” Scanlon said, referring to the Trains. “They were motivated by a Christian extremist ideology.”
The FBI is still investigating the alleged motive of the American. Queensland police had flown to Arizona to help investigators there.
“The attack involved advanced planning and preparation against law enforcement,” Scanlon said.
Gareth Train began following the suspect on YouTube in May 2020. A year later, they were communicating directly.
“The man repeatedly sent messages containing Christian end-of-days ideology to Gareth and then later to Stacey,” Scanlon said.
Mann said the FBI was committed to assisting the Queensland Police Service in its investigation.
“The FBI has a long memory and an even longer reach. From Queensland, Australia, to the remote corners of Arizona,” Mann said.
“The FBI and QPS worked jointly and endlessly to bring this man to justice, and he will face the crimes he is alleged to have perpetrated,” she added.
veryGood! (88)
Related
- Bo the police K-9, who located child taken at knifepoint, wins Hero Dog Awards 2024
- Tyreek Hill is briefly detained for a traffic violation ahead of Dolphins’ season opener
- County official pleads guilty to animal cruelty in dog’s death
- In their tennis era, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce cheer at U.S. Open final
- 5-year-old boy who went missing while parent was napping is found dead near Oregon home, officials say
- A Colorado State Patrol trooper is shot while parked along a highway and kills gunman
- Maui’s toxic debris could fill 5 football fields 5 stories deep. Where will it end up?
- Cardinals' DeeJay Dallas gets first touchdown return under NFL's new kickoff rules
- The USDA is testing raw milk for the avian flu. Is raw milk safe?
- Impaired driver arrested after pickup crashes into Arizona restaurant, injuring 25
Ranking
- Trump has promised to ‘save TikTok’. What happens next is less clear
- NASCAR Atlanta live updates: How to watch Sunday's Cup Series playoff race
- 2 young sisters apparently drowned in a Long Island pond, police say
- Jason Kelce's Wife Kylie Kelce Reveals Her NFL Game Day Superstitions
- Eva Longoria calls US 'dystopian' under Trump, has moved with husband and son
- 2024 Creative Arts Emmy Awards: Dates, nominees, where to watch and stream
- Jonathan Owens scores Bears' first TD of the season on blocked punt return
- Nicole Kidman Announces Death of Her Mom Janelle After Leaving Venice Film Festival
Recommendation
-
Exclusive Yankee Candle Sale: 50% Off Holiday Candles for a Limited Time
-
Sephora Flash Sale: Get 50% Off Kiehl's Liquid Pimple Patches, Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Lipstick & More
-
Takeaways from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s response to violence after George Floyd’s murder
-
Don't Miss J.Crew Outlet's End-of-Summer Sale: Score an Extra 50% Off Clearance & Up to 60% Off Sitewide
-
Sean Diddy Combs' Lawyers File New Motion for Bail, Claiming Evidence Depicts a Consensual Relationship
-
Grief, pain, hope and faith at church services following latest deadly school shooting
-
NFL Sunday Ticket price: Breaking down how much it costs, plus some discounts
-
Tropical system set to drench parts of Gulf Coast, could strengthen, forecasters say