A mother-of-two gunned down alongside her daughter by her mate’s crazed ex-husband was struggling to decide if she should share her concerns about the killer with her children, a friend has revealed.
Mark Bombara, 63, stormed Jennifer Petelczyc’s Floreat home, in Perth’s ritzy western suburbs, at about 4.30pm on Friday, looking for his former wife Rowena.
Unable to find his ex-wife, Bombara instead fatally shot her 53-year-old friend and her daughter Gretl Petelczyc, 18, before turning the gun on himself.
A family friend of Ms Petelczyc told Daily Mail Australia the mother-of-two had confided she feared for her family’s safety after learning Bombara, a registered gun owner, was driving around with a Glock under the seat in his car, in search of his ex-wife.
Ms Bombara had been staying with the Petelczyc’s on-and-off since fleeing her $4.58million marital home, in Mosman Park, in April amid the couple’s bitter separation.
The family friend said his mother was told by Ms Petelczyc, who was one of her best friends, that she was unsure if she should tell her children about Bombara being a threat to their safety.
Mark Bombara, 63, stormed Jennifer Petelczyc’s Floreat home, in Perth’s western suburbs, about 4.30pm on Friday, looking for his estranged wife Rowena. Unable to find her, Bombara instead fatally shot her 53-year-old friend Jennifer Petelczyc and her daughter Gretl, 18, (pictured together) before turning the gun on himself
Mark James Bombara had been hunting for his former partner, Rowena, who had been staying with Ms Petelczyc following their bitter divorce (Bombara and Rowena are pictured together)
Pictured: mourners comfort one another after leaving floral tributes outside the murder scene
He said his mother urged Ms Petelczyc that she should tell her two daughters, Gretl, 18 and Liesl, 23, about her concerns because they were now adults, prompting the widow to reveal the family were in danger and advise the girls not to open the door.
The family friend said Ms Petelczyc had been frequently visiting his parents, seeking legal advice from his lawyer father about ways she could protect Rowena and her daughters.
He said the last time his parents saw Ms Petelczyc, which was two weeks ago shortly before they left for a holiday, his father yelled out to her as she walked down the driveway ‘don’t forget to report it [Bombara driving around with a gun] to police’.
Ms Petelczyc called back ‘I will’ before turning around and heading home.
The family friend said they are unsure whether or not Ms Petelczyc had reported the matter to police.
Daily Mail Australia was told by WA police they have been unable to locate records indicating Ms Petelczyc made a report to cops.
The family friend said, if Bombara, who was part of a local gun club, was reported to police, he does not understand how he would have been permitted to keep his firearm if there were concerns of violence.
Over the past six months, Bombara had been growing increasingly erratic, the friend said.
The friend said he understands the property developer, who shared four children with his ex-wife, had been suffering from mini strokes and diabetes but had not been getting treatment, which had led to significant personality changes.
Gretl, who recently got her P-plates, was only just getting started in life after graduating high school and starting a bachelor of sport degree at the University of WA. Her mother had been deliberating about whether to tell her daughters about the threat posed by Bombara
Friday’s tragedy leaves daughter Liesl as the sole surviving member of the immediate family (Gretl and Liesl are pictured together)
Two young women lay a floral tribute at the murder scene
It remains unclear how Bombara gained access to the home on Friday afternoon, however, neighbours reported seeing the family’s alarm light flashing – suggesting he had broken in.
Daily Mail Australia understands that after Bombara entered, he encountered Ms Petelczyc and her daughter in separate rooms and shot them both in the head.
It is also understood he shot himself several times in the chest before making a fatal blow to his head.
The friend described Ms Petelczyc as a brave woman who staunchly protected the people she loved.
He said Ms Petelczyc had been working hard to support her daughters after losing her husband, Jon, to pancreatic cancer in 2019.
He said Jon, a businessman, had worked his whole life to retire by 2020 but tragically died just months away from achieving his dream.
Ms Petelczyc and Gretl’s deaths are the latest tragedies to befall the family after father and husband Jon (pictured with Ms Petelczyc) died in 2019
A neighbour described Bombara’s former partner, Rowena, (centre) as ‘lovely’ and him as ‘private’
He was so fixated with reaching his goal that he named his company 2020 business consultants and all family members’ number plates included the number.
The loss of Mr Petelczyc had a profound impact on the family and local community, which are now reeling from yet another tragedy.
In 2017, Mr Petelczyc made headlines after voluntarily buying a defibrillator to keep in the family’s car port just in case anyone in the neighbourhood ever needed it.
Both Mr and Ms Petelczyc, who worked at a local surgeon’s office, were active members of the community.
She participated in council meetings and they both previously worked on the board of their daughters’ school, St Hilda’s Anglican School for girls, where Ms Bombara’s daughters were also students.
Meanwhile, Gretl was an avid waterpolo player and had started studying sport at the University of Western Australia, where her sister was also undertaking a degree.
It’s understood Bombara cable-tied the two women after being unable to find Rowena (centre)
A close friend of the family, Daele Dobsen, told Daily Mail Australia on Saturday that Ms Petelczyc was a devoted mother and lamented that Gretl, who only recently got her P-plates, was just getting started in life.
Ms Dobsen said she did not want Ms Petelczyc and Gretl to be remembered as ‘victims by association of domestic violence’.
‘I want them to be remembered as beautiful members of our community and I am overwhelmed with their loss,’ she said.
‘In my friendship with Jenny, I found her to be so very kind and generous to myself and my family, even opening up her home to host my son’s 18th birthday party last year when I was unable to find a venue.
‘Jenny was a devoted mother who would do anything for her girls.’
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