American Man Connected to Aussie Shooters Secures Plea Bargain with Prosecutors
An American citizen associated with the perpetrators behind the fatal Wieambilla, Australia shooting that took six lives – including two Queensland police officers – has accepted a less severe plea agreement.
Resident of Arizona Donald Day Jr. will appear in court on October 21 after finalizing the plea deal with US prosecutors.
The individual with prior convictions, referred to online as “Geronimo’s Bones”, is expected to plead guilty to a sole offense of illegally owning firearms and ammunition in a deal to be approved by the court this month.
Connections to Australian Shooters
Investigators established direct links between Day and the Train couple through digital communications.
This couple, along with Nathaniel Train, killed Queensland police officers Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow, and neighbour Alan Dare at a remote property in Wieambilla, Queensland in 2022.
The Trains were fatally shot in a gun battle with police, following a extended standoff at the rural site.
American officials stated Day corresponded via social media with the Trains during the period of the fatal attack.
Day referred to Queensland police as “evil, corrupt, and wicked”, and said they should be shown “absolutely no quarter”, telling the Trains he wanted to be at Wieambilla physically.
Legal filings detailed how Gareth and Stacey Train had uploaded an end-times recording on YouTube after the shootings, stating authorities “attempted to kill us, and we retaliated”.
“If you don’t defend yourself against these devils and demons, you’re a coward … we’ll see you at home, Don. Love you,” the Trains expressed.
Firearms Cache and Court Case
Legal records reveal the defendant stockpiled a cache of nine high-powered firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition at a rural property in Heber, AZ, that was outfitted with a gun range, weapons room and sniper’s nest.
“The guns and ammo were stored in the trailer I occupied with S.S., within a space we named the 'gun room',” Day admitted in the agreement submitted in court.
Day said he frequently used both the gun room and the weapons, and also trained individuals on how to use the firearms correctly.
The plea deal will result in charges dropped that relate to the accused issuing threats to officials and federal agents.
According to court documents, the individual had been prohibited from owning guns and arms because of his history of violent crimes.
The defendant, who has served two years in custody, faces a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in prison or a penalty of US$250,000 (A$381,500), but the plea deal specifies he will be sentenced under the low end of the legal sentencing standards.