US Man Linked to Aussie Shooters Strikes Plea Deal with Prosecutors
An American citizen associated with the culprits behind the fatal Wieambilla, Australia shooting that took six lives – including two Queensland police officers – has accepted a watered-down plea deal.
Arizona-based Donald Day Jr. will appear in court on October 21 after striking the bargain with American authorities.
The convicted felon, known online as “Geronimo's Bones”, is anticipated to admit guilt to a sole charge of unlawfully possessing guns and bullets in a arrangement to be sanctioned by the court this month.
Connections to Australian Shooters
Investigators established direct links between Day and Gareth and Stacey Train through online posts.
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 in 2022.
They were killed in a final shootout with law enforcement, following a extended standoff at the regional property.
American officials stated the accused communicated via social media with the perpetrators during the period of the deadly ambush.
He referred to Queensland police as “evil, corrupt, and wicked”, and said they should be shown “absolutely no quarter”, informing them he wanted to be at Wieambilla physically.
Court documents detailed how Gareth and Stacey Train had uploaded an end-times recording on YouTube after the incident, stating police “attempted to kill us, and we retaliated”.
“Failing to stand against these evil forces makes one a coward … we’ll see you at home, Don. Love you,” they said.
Firearms Cache and Court Case
Court documents reveal the defendant stockpiled a collection of multiple powerful guns and hundreds of rounds of ammo at a country estate in Heber, Arizona, that was equipped with a shooting range, weapons 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’,” he admitted in the agreement filed in the legal system.
Day said he regularly accessed both the gun room and the weapons, and also trained individuals on how to use the firearms correctly.
The plea deal will lead to dismissed counts that relate to the accused making of threats to officials and FBI agents.
Based on legal files, the individual had been banned from possessing weapons and firearms because of his violent criminal history.
The defendant, who has completed 24 months in detention, could receive a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in prison or a fine of US$250,000 (A$381,500), but the agreement stipulates he will be sentenced under the minimum range of the legal sentencing standards.
