US Man Connected to Aussie Shooters Secures Plea Deal with Prosecutors
A US man linked with the perpetrators behind the deadly Wieambilla, Australia shooting that claimed six lives – including two Queensland police officers – has accepted a less severe plea deal.
Arizona-based Donald Day Jr. will appear in court on October 21 after finalizing the bargain with US prosecutors.
The convicted felon, referred to online as “Geronimo’s Bones”, is anticipated to plead guilty to a sole charge of illegally owning firearms and ammunition in a deal to be approved by the court this month.
Connections to Aussie Gunmen
Investigators established clear connections between the defendant and the Train couple through digital communications.
The Trains, along with Gareth’s brother Nathaniel, killed officers from Queensland Arnold and McCrow, and neighbor Alan Dare at a remote property in Wieambilla in 2022.
They were fatally shot in a gun battle with police, following a extended standoff at the regional property.
American officials stated the accused communicated via online platforms with the Trains during the period of the deadly ambush.
Day referred to Queensland officers as “evil, corrupt, and wicked”, and declared they should be shown “no mercy whatsoever”, informing the Trains he wanted to be at the scene physically.
Legal filings outlined how the couple had uploaded an apocalyptic video on YouTube after the shootings, saying police “came to kill us and we killed them”.
“Failing to stand against these evil forces makes one a coward … we’ll see you at home, Don. Love you,” the Trains said.
Firearms Cache and Court Case
Legal records reveal the defendant stockpiled a cache of multiple powerful guns and numerous bullets of ammunition at a country estate in Heber, AZ, that was outfitted with a shooting range, weapons room and sniper’s nest.
“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 plea deal filed in the legal system.
He said 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 dismissed counts that relate to the alleged issuing threats to officials and federal agents.
Based on legal files, Day had been banned from owning guns and arms because of his history of violent crimes.
Day, who has completed two years in detention, faces a highest sentence of up to 15 years in jail or a penalty of US$250,000 (A$381,500), but the agreement specifies he will be judged under the minimum range of the sentencing guidelines.
