WA police admit systemic failures that enabled Floreat double murder
WA police renewed Mark Bombara's gun licence six times after he became ineligible in 2005.
Mark Bombara used an illegally held firearm to murder Jennifer and Gretel Petelczyc in Floreat in May 2024. An inquest found WA police renewed his licence repeatedly without review.
Law changes had made him ineligible in 2005. Mark Bombara called himself a "Glock enthusiast" in his application.
A superintendent told the inquest: "It was never subject to a review and it really should have been." The State Coroner found systemic failures all the way to the top of the police force.
- May 2024
- When murders occurred
- Six times over two decades
- Licence renewals
- 2005
- Became ineligible
- Floreat
- Murder location
Why it mattersThe inquest shows serious gaps in firearms licensing oversight. These gaps allowed a prohibited person to legally hold weapons for two decades.
AustraliaWA gun laws have since tightened to become some of Australia's strictest; other states may review their own licensing processes.
