A coroner in Queensland, Australia, has said that the murders of two police officers in 2022 were not an act of religious terrorism, even though the attack was first described that way by authorities.

Constables Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow were killed in December 2022 when they visited a rural property in Wieambilla. They were checking on a man reported missing. When they arrived, Nathaniel, Gareth, and Stacey Train ambushed them with high-powered guns. A siege followed, and police later shot and killed the three attackers.

In new findings, State Coroner Terry Ryan said the Trains were religious fanatics and conspiracy believers, but their actions were driven by their own delusions. He said they wrongly believed the police were an “evil threat,” and they had prepared their property for months to resist any police visit. Because of this, the coroner said it is not possible to call the attack an act of terrorism.

Mr Ryan also said Australia’s legal definition of terrorism is too narrow and may not match modern threats.

Arnold, 26, and McCrow, 29, were among four officers who went to the property. The attackers immediately opened fire. Two officers were killed, one escaped into nearby bushes, and the fourth managed to drive away even though he was shot in the leg. A neighbour, Alan Dare, was also killed when he came to check on the smoke.

Police later said the Trains were “waiting” for anyone who entered the property and that nothing the officers did could have stopped the attack.

Nathaniel Train killed Arnold, while Gareth Train killed McCrow. Nathaniel was the same missing man the police had gone to check on. Gareth had grown more extreme in his anti-government beliefs over the years, especially after the 1996 massacre.