Pictured: Mother and daughter tragically gunned down in their upmarket home in Floreat, Perth
A mother and her daughter who were tragically shot dead by a gunman in their Perth home are being remembered as beloved pillars of the community.
Jenny Petelczyc, 59, and her daughter Gretl, 18, were shot by a 63-year-old man who arrived at their Floreat home in Perth’s west on Friday looking for his ex-partner.
Ms Petelczyc and the man died at the Berkeley Crescent residence while Gretl was rushed to hospital where she sadly passed away on Saturday morning.
The 18-year-old was a talented water polo player who graduated from St Hilda’s Anglican School in 2022.
Jennifer, who went by the name Jenny, was widowed after her husband Jon Petelczyc, the director of a local business consultancy, died in August 2019.
The family is survived by the couple’s other young adult daughter, Liesl, who police said was not at the home.
At a press conference on Saturday afternoon, WA Police Inspector David Gorton revealed the man, a registered gun owner, visited the house looking for his ex-wife before shooting the two women.
Police arrived at the property and heard the man fire a final shot, believed to be the moment the 63-year-old committed suicide.
“The 63-year-old had a firearms license in the state of Western Australia,” Detective Gorton said.
“He was the owner of the firearms that we believe were used at that time.”
He also confirmed that the man was known to the police.
Jenny Petelczyc, 59, and her daughter Gretl, 18, were shot by a 63-year-old man who arrived at their Floreat home in Perth’s west on Friday looking for his ex-partner
Detectives are investigating whether one of the women’s hands were tied with cables by the gunman.
Det Insp Gorton also confirmed that the man’s ex-wife and a daughter were in the custody of the killing squad.
‘We offer them all possible support.
“It is clear they are very distressed by the circumstances and WA Police will refer them appropriately for counselling.”
Police were called to the house in the city’s northwest around 4:30 pm local time on Friday after the gunman opened fire.
The woman who later died was taken to Royal Perth Hospital in a critical condition.
Police were at the scene of the shooting that night.
“The incident is under control and there are no ongoing threats to the public,” a police spokesman said.
A police helicopter was sent to the area and circled overhead as part of the response.
Neighbors described the street as “friendly” and said a mother and her two adult daughters lived in the house. The Western Australia reported.
Mourners visited the chic street on Saturday and some brought bouquets of flowers
Friends of the two women tragically shot consoled each other outside the home
Neighbors described the street as “friendly” and said a mother and her two adult daughters lived in the house, The West Australian reported.
Police rushed to Berkeley Crescent in the Perth suburb of Floreat on Friday afternoon
At the height of the large-scale police operation, a police helicopter circled overhead
Young neighbor Archer Beattie told 9News that while driving he heard screeching tires, “lots of sirens and the occasional cracking noise.”
Another neighbor named David said his daughter was in the backyard with the family dog and heard gunshots.
“She ran inside, locked the doors and waited for us to get home. She said she just knew it was gunshots,” he said.
“She said it was three or four shots.
‘We know the family (at that address) quite well and just hope they are doing well.’
Another neighbor, Indiana Bond, told The West that the incident as it unfolded was “pretty scary.”
“It was a bit of a rollercoaster… there were about two people around 18 or 19 talking to a police officer at the front, and about 15 minutes later we heard sirens going by,” he said.
“There was a whole lot going on and so we came out to take a look and that’s when we saw the (TRG) outside the house.
“Then we hear ‘bang, bang, bang, bang’ these shots, then we saw police driving up, ambulances driving up and they immediately blocked the whole street.
“There was no rapid fire, but it was a lot of single shots, so it sounded like a back and forth … it was quite scary.”
In a post on social media, state MP Christine Tonkin said it would take some time before the circumstances of the tragedy became clear.
“We know that people in this neighborhood are shocked, confused and saddened. It will take time to understand what happened and for life to return to some semblance of normality.
“In the meantime, let’s be kind to each other.”
Floreat is an upscale suburb about 8km northwest of Perth’s CBD, known for its multi-million dollar homes and manicured lawns.
The area remains closed to the public while detectives and forensic officers examine the scene.
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