US Man Linked to Aussie Gunmen Strikes Plea Bargain with Prosecutors
A US man associated with the culprits behind the deadly Wieambilla, Australia shooting that took the lives of six individuals – including two Queensland police officers – has accepted a less severe plea agreement.
Arizona-based Donald Day Jr. will appear in court on October 21 after finalizing the bargain with American authorities.
The individual with prior convictions, referred to online as “Geronimo’s Bones”, is expected to admit guilt to a single offense of unlawfully possessing firearms and ammunition in a arrangement to be sanctioned by the judiciary this month.
Connections to Australian Shooters
Investigators established direct links between the defendant and Gareth and Stacey Train through online posts.
This couple, along with Nathaniel Train, killed Queensland police officers Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow, and neighbor Alan Dare at a isolated location in Wieambilla in 2022.
The Trains were fatally shot in a final shootout with law enforcement, following a protracted siege at the regional property.
American officials said Day corresponded via online platforms with the Trains around the time of the deadly ambush.
He referred to Queensland police as “evil, corrupt, and wicked”, and declared they should be shown “absolutely no quarter”, informing the Trains he wanted to be at the scene physically.
Court documents outlined how the couple had posted an apocalyptic recording on YouTube after the incident, saying 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 said.
Weapons Stockpile and Court Case
Legal records show Day accumulated a collection of nine high-powered firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammo at a country estate in Heber, Arizona, that was equipped with a gun 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’,” he admitted in the agreement filed in court.
He said he frequently used both the weapons storage and the weapons, and also instructed individuals on how to operate the guns correctly.
The bargain will lead to dismissed counts that pertain to the alleged making of threats to public figures and federal agents.
Based on legal files, the individual had been banned from possessing weapons and firearms because of his violent criminal history.
Day, who has completed two years in detention, could receive a highest sentence of up to 15 years in jail or a fine of $250,000 (A$381,500), but the plea deal specifies he will be sentenced under the low end of the legal sentencing standards.
