American Individual Linked to Aussie Shooters Secures Plea Bargain with Federal Attorneys
A US man associated with the culprits behind the fatal Wieambilla shooting that took the lives of six individuals – among them two Queensland police officers – has agreed to a less severe plea deal.
Arizona-based Donald Day Jr will appear in court on 21 October after striking the bargain with US prosecutors.
The individual with prior convictions, referred to online as “Geronimo’s Bones”, is anticipated to admit guilt to a sole charge of unlawfully possessing guns and bullets in a deal to be approved by the judiciary this month.
Links to Aussie Gunmen
Investigators confirmed clear connections between the defendant and Gareth and Stacey Train through digital communications.
The Trains, along with Nathaniel Train, killed Queensland police officers Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow, and neighbour Alan Dare at a isolated location in Wieambilla in 2022.
They were killed in a gun battle with police, following a protracted siege at the regional property.
American officials stated Day communicated via online platforms with the Trains around the time of the fatal attack.
Day described Queensland officers as “evil, corrupt, and wicked”, and said they should be shown “no mercy whatsoever”, telling them he wanted to be at Wieambilla physically.
Legal filings outlined how the couple had posted an apocalyptic recording on the video platform after the incident, stating authorities “came to kill us and we killed them”.
“If you don’t defend yourself against these devils and demons, you’re a coward … We will meet you at home, Don. With love,” the Trains expressed.
Weapons Stockpile and Legal Proceedings
Court documents reveal Day accumulated a cache of multiple powerful guns and hundreds of rounds of ammo at a rural property in Heber, AZ, that was outfitted with a shooting range, gun room and sniper hide.
“The firearms and ammunition were kept in the mobile home I shared with S.S., in a room we called the ‘gun room’,” Day said in the agreement filed in court.
Day stated he regularly accessed both the gun room and the weapons, and also trained individuals on how to operate the firearms properly.
The plea deal will lead to charges dropped that pertain to the accused making of threats to public figures and federal agents.
According to legal files, the individual had been prohibited from owning weapons and firearms because of his history of violent crimes.
The defendant, who has completed two years in detention, faces a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in jail or a penalty of $250,000 (A$381,500), but the agreement specifies he will be judged under the low end of the sentencing guidelines.
