Donald Day, a 58-year-old American citizen, has been sentenced to three years in a U.S. federal prison for possessing firearms as a convicted felon. This sentencing follows an investigation into his online communications with the Train family, who were responsible for the fatal Wieambilla shootings in Queensland, Australia, in December 2022. The sentence includes credit for time Day has already served in custody, and he will also undergo a period of supervised release.
Sentencing and Legal Proceedings
Donald Day, residing in Arizona, was sentenced to 36 months (three years) of imprisonment by a U.S. federal court. The sentence includes credit for the two years and three months Day had spent in custody since his arrest by the FBI in December 2023. Upon release, he will be subject to three years of supervised release and is required to forfeit all seized firearms and ammunition.
Day's arrest in December 2023 led to several federal charges, including firearms violations and threats against U.S. police. He subsequently entered a plea deal, pleading guilty to possessing guns while a felon, which resulted in the dismissal of other charges. Prosecutors had advocated for a longer sentence, citing Day's adult criminal history, which included multiple assaults on law enforcement and other inmates. Court documents indicated an applicable sentencing guideline for his offense, considering his criminal background, was between 46 and 57 months.
Wieambilla Shootings Background
The investigation into Day's activities stemmed from his online interactions with the Train family, perpetrators of a fatal ambush in Wieambilla, rural Queensland, Australia, in December 2022. During this incident, Queensland police officers Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold, along with neighbor Alan Dare, were fatally shot at a rural property west of Brisbane. The perpetrators — brothers Nathaniel (46) and Gareth (47) Train, and Gareth's wife Stacey (45) — were subsequently killed by police during a siege at the same location.
Online Communications and Shared Beliefs
Investigations revealed that Day, using the online alias "Geronimo's Bones," exchanged comments and videos on YouTube with Gareth, Nathaniel, and Stacey Train between May 2021 and December 2022. Day stated during a police interview that he communicated with the Trains two to four times a week. Reports indicated the Trains held a shared distrustful view of society, and Day confirmed they shared a belief that police were responsible for societal problems.
Day reportedly offered support and solidarity to the Trains in his communications, including telling Nathaniel Train that he "looked forward to taking the scalps of our enemies alongside" him.
Evidence presented in court indicated that Day had prepared a "sniper's nest" for a potential confrontation with law enforcement and had advised the Trains to take similar actions. At the time of his arrest, authorities found nine firearms, including military-style rifles, shotguns, and handguns, and approximately 10,000 rounds of ammunition.
A woman residing with Day informed police that he had restricted her movement off the property and instructed her on a plan involving hiding in a "gun room" equipped with weapons, ammunition, and ballistic vests, should "devils" arrive.
Post-Incident Statements and Inquest Findings
During the December 2022 siege, a video message posted by Gareth and Stacey Train allegedly directly addressed Day. In this video, Stacey Train told "Don" they would "be home soon" and expressed their love. Day's response indicated he wished he "could be with you to do what I do best."
After learning of the Trains' deaths, Day made an online post threatening law enforcement officers and asserted that the Trains had "done exactly what they were supposed to do, and that is to kill these fing devils."*
He also posted online, "These days, I just watch the stupid through the keyhole, 'til it's time to centre my rifle barrel through it."
A Queensland inquest into the Wieambilla shooting, which concluded in November 2025, determined that the Train family's actions were driven by "shared psychotic disorders" and delusional beliefs, and that they intended to kill during the ambush. Day's lawyer, Jon Sands, argued in court that the Trains' actions stemmed from their psychotic disorders, rather than their communications with Day.