Former Walgett school principal Nathaniel Train has been described across major media outlets today as a “success”, “mild-mannered” and someone who teachers and parents admired.

If true, it only deepens the conundrum of how a 46-year-old could don military fatigues and arm himself to gun down two young police officers who there for a welfare check. 

Six people have lost their lives. Train must have known when he took up arms, that he would surely be ending his life too.

Investigations continue. But the absurdity and the brutality of what happened on the grassy Darling Downs flats on Monday night may always struggle to fit an explanation.

Today the Western Plains App reached out to locals in Walgett to see what the events mean to them. It was clear the shock reigns. It also made us consider how some had the task today of explaining it to small children who once knew him as their school principal.

Some have spoken to Western Plains App, putting their job at risk, to contest the narrative that Train was indeed well-liked and generally regarded of good character at least among staff.

All education department employees have been told not to talk to the media and so we took comments on the condition of anonymity. They said our understanding of why it happened can only take place when we get a fuller picture of what Train was allegedly really like.

We understand this may offend some people and it is not our intention to do so, but a former staff member we will call 'Alex' said that the public image being portrayed of Train as "mild-mannered" and "respected" was simply not true and not fair to the staff who worked under him in his 18 months as principal at Walgett community school. 

“His treatment of staff was terrible. I mean it created major mental health issues. People were scared of him, they found him aggressive. I mean I still can't understand how someone can go from being what he was to doing what he did, but he had some major control issues. He was angry and paranoid often. He sent strange emails saying people were against him and that even people were plotting against him. You should see some of the emails he would send out to staff. Some were very strange and always so combative."

'Alex' told the Western plains App that Train – in the course of managing his staff - bullied, “divided and conquered” and always had to be in control, and even said that “he got satisfaction from intimidating people”.

'Alex' said it was simply inaccurate to portray him as a well-loved principal, saying the only staff who sided with him did so out of fear.

Even still 'Alex' said "It is unfathomable that he did what he did. I would not have picked him for being someone who would do that, despite all these really unpleasant sides to his personality. It is absolutely terrible. But lets not make out he was some great person."

An aerial view of the scene at a property in Wieambilal a day after the shooting. Source: Nine.

Walgett mayor Jane Keir told the Western Plains App she was not in a position to contradict people who worked on a daily basis with Train. However, she said Train was at the very least “well-respected as a headmaster”. She said she did not know Train well, but considered he had done a “very good job” at the school.

“He bought some real accountability to that school. He bought discipline and order. Thats what was needed. I can't comment on what he was like to deal with on an interpersonal basis. He obviously had some real mental health issues. Some people will consider what he did a matter of character. For me, to do what he did, he had to be mentally ill, you have to be mentally ill to do what he did. He had some sort of breakdown. Even if people are saying his behaviour was questionable before. How can he go from being a very competent principal to doing that?”

Keir says she thinks the heart attack Train had at the school where staff resuscitated him may have begun his downfall.

“I think it was pretty traumatic what he went through, but I still can't imagine someone doing what he was doing. Taking lives and knowing he was going to die. I am just so desperately sorry for what happened” she said "I was married to a police officer. This really hit home for me".

“This is an unimaginable event. The people of Walgett have those who have lost their lives in their hearts and prayers, we really feel very awful for what has happened”.

Train had previously been quoted in The Australian newspaper criticising the school's previous administration when he worked at Innisfail East. While according to one Innisfail parent quoted in the Cairns Post he "was just a very happy man that loved kids and they loved him."

School teacher 'Alex' did agree with Mayor Keir that things may well have gotten worse for Train after his heart attack. 

"He was someone who needed to be in a position of power. He lost all that. He was known to stay inside all day and only went out in the afternoon walking his dog. If he saw a staff member he would just ignore them".

Local Indigenous leader Anne Dennis, herself an experienced educator, said that Train “came into a difficult situation” at the school and “worked hard to achieve better outcomes at the school”. She said that she only had around ten meetings with him but he seemed like a “happy person”.

“Nobody can excuse what he did, he did have tragic circumstances around his health…staff feel how they feel about him, I can't comment either way, everyone is entitled to their opinion”.

Former staff member 'Alex' told the Western Plains App that when the event unfolded some other staff contacted them to say “what if he comes here” and “they were genuinely worried he would come to the school with a gun”.

“I guess that is fair to say we really did dodge a bullet, so to speak” Mayor Keir told the Western Plains App “Thank goodness at least this didn't happen in Walgett.”

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