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Constable who survived incident stands with community in candle-light vigil for victims

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A police constable who survived the Wieambilla shootings has honoured her colleagues who were mercilessly slain in the calculated ambush at a rural Queensland property.

Constable Keely Brough, 28, stood silently at a candlelight vigil in the nearby town of Chinchilla on Friday evening as the community grieved.

Wearing dark sunglasses and a blue and white ribbon pinned to her shirt, she stood side-by-side with her fellow officers.

Survivor of the Wieambilla police shooting, Constable Keely Brough, embraces Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Charysse Pond.
Survivor of the Wieambilla police shooting, Constable Keely Brough, embraces Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Charysse Pond. (9News)
Survivor of the Wieambilla police shooting, Constable Keely Brough, at a vigil held in the Queensland town of Chinchilla.
Survivor of the Wieambilla police shooting, Constable Keely Brough, at a vigil held in the Queensland town of Chinchilla. (9News)
Constable Rachel McCrow, 29, Constable Matthew Arnold, 26, and Alan Dare were killed. (A Current Affair)
Constable Randall Kirk survived the shooting ambush at Wieambilla and is recovering in hospital following surgery. He is pictured with his wife Breanna. (Queensland Police Union)

Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Charysse Pond hugged Constable Brough at the ceremony, where a guard of honour was formed by locals who openly wept during the tribute.

Constable Matthew Arnold, 26, Constable Rachel McCrow, 29, and Good Samaritan neighbour Alan Dare were shot dead by Nathaniel and Gareth Train and Gareth’s partner Stacey Train during the horrific ambush at Wieambilla on Monday.

Constable Randall Kirk, 28, and Constable Brough, managed to escape with their lives despite the sustained gunfire from the heavily-armed Train trio.

Constable Kirk was wounded and is recovering in hospital after surgery.

During the siege, Constable Brough sent text messages to her loved ones fearing she was about to die. The Trains had set fire to the grass she was hiding in to try and flush her out.

Two police officers are among six dead following a siege at Wieambilla, Queensland. (9News)
Nathaniel and Gavin Train and Gavin’s partner Stacey Train ambushed police. (9News)

Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers said the two officers killed had been “executed”.

“This was a pure execution,” he said.

Yesterday, more than 200 people gathered at Tara Police Station to pay tribute to the victims.

“They are such a close-knit and caring community and the loss of these lives has fallen hard on a great many people,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

Mourners pay their respects at Tara police station. (Nine)

“An act of violence and bloodshed so sudden, so cruel, so alien to the community and country that they know.”

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