American Individual Linked to Aussie Shooters Secures Plea Deal with Prosecutors
A US man linked with the perpetrators behind the fatal Wieambilla shooting that claimed the lives of six individuals – among them two officers from Queensland – has accepted a watered-down plea agreement.
Arizona-based Donald Day Jr will face court on 21 October after finalizing the plea deal with American authorities.
The convicted felon, known online as “Geronimo's Bones”, is anticipated to admit guilt to a sole offense of unlawfully possessing guns and bullets in a deal to be approved by the court this month.
Connections to Aussie Gunmen
Investigators established clear connections between Day and Gareth and Stacey Train through digital communications.
The Trains, along with Gareth’s brother Nathaniel, murdered Queensland police officers Arnold and McCrow, and neighbour Alan Dare at a isolated location in Wieambilla, Queensland in 2022.
The Trains were killed in a final shootout with law enforcement, following a protracted siege at the regional property.
US prosecutors stated the accused communicated via online platforms with the Trains around the time of the fatal attack.
Day referred to Queensland police as “malignant, malformed and malevolent”, and declared they should be shown “no mercy whatsoever”, telling them he wanted to be at Wieambilla physically.
Legal filings outlined how Gareth and Stacey Train had posted an apocalyptic recording on YouTube after the shootings, saying authorities “attempted to kill us, and we retaliated”.
“Failing to stand against these evil forces makes one a coward … We will meet you at home, Don. With love,” the Trains expressed.
Weapons Stockpile and Court Case
Court documents reveal Day stockpiled a collection of nine high-powered firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition at a rural property in Heber, Arizona, that was equipped with a gun 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 plea deal filed in court.
He stated he frequently used both the gun room and the weapons, and also trained individuals on how to use the guns properly.
The bargain will lead to charges dropped that relate to the accused making of threats to officials and federal agents.
Based on legal files, the individual had been prohibited from possessing weapons and firearms because of his history of violent crimes.
The defendant, who has completed 24 months in detention, faces a maximum penalty of up to 15 years imprisonment in jail or a fine of $250,000 (A$381,500), but the agreement specifies he will be judged under the minimum range of the sentencing guidelines.
