A SHOOTING that left six people dead in December last year was Australia’s first Christian-motivated terrorist attack, police said on Thursday.

The shooting at a rural property in Wieambilla, around 168 miles west of Brisbane, on December 12 killed two police officers and a neighbour before the shooters, Nathaniel, Stacey and Gareth Train, were themselves shot dead in a gun battle with authorities.

The two dead officers were Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow.

Neighbour Alan Dare, who tried to assist the officers, was shot dead by the three attackers, who police said subscribed to a “pre-millennialism” Christian fundamentalist belief system.

Queensland Police deputy commissioner Tracey Lindford said: “The Trains carried out a “religiously motivated terrorist attack.”

“Christian extremist ideology has been linked to other attacks around the world, but this is the first time we’ve seen it occur in Australia.”

She added: “We don’t believe this attack was random or spontaneous. We do believe it was an attack directed at police.”

Police had been called to the remote property to check on Nathaniel Train, who had been reported missing in New South Wales.

A coroner’s court will take a final view on the motive behind the attack, Ms Lindford added.