Representation. A gun.
Representation. A gun.

Premier Roger Cook's drive for stricter gun regulations in Western Australia has taken on a note of urgency in the aftermath of the deadly shooting of a Perth mother and daughter.

Authorities have revealed that the alleged gunman held 13 weapons under various permits, which has renewed discussion about firearm rules in the wake of the murders, which are thought to be the result of domestic abuse.

On Friday afternoon, the mother and her daughter were shot and killed in their own home by a man, who was allegedly the mother's friend's ex-spouse. Following his break-in, 63-year-old Mark James Bombara killed 59-year-old Jennifer Petelczyc and her 18-year-old daughter Gretl before shooting himself. Bombara was allegedly searching for his ex-wife.

At a Monday afternoon press conference, Police Minister Paul Papalia confirmed that Bombara legally owned 13 firearms: 11 on a recreational license and two handguns on a collector's license. It was noted that Bombara had the two handguns with him on the day of the incident, ABC reported.

"There is no reason a person living in Mosman Park should be able to legally own 13 guns," Cook said.

Bombara had no past convictions, and the only reason the police knew about him was that on April 1, during a transfer connected to "FDV-related matters" that had not been officially reported to the authorities, his ex-wife had asked for their help.

Papalia stated that Bombara's guns could not have been seized under the current gun rules or the planned revisions that are scheduled for discussion in parliament. He is also working with the police commissioner to add more changes to the reforms that would enable the early confiscation of guns in circumstances when there is a risk of injury.

"We need to address every part of the law to make them tougher but particularly around this seizure of firearms, and what point that seizure is made in relation to incidents of this nature. ... At the current time, clearly, people are allowed to retain their firearms longer than potentially we could In the future," Papalia said.

The Parliament is currently reviewing what is considered the country's strictest gun laws. The measure, which has passed the lower house, calls for immediate revocation of weapons licenses if a violent restraining order is imposed, obligatory mental health screenings, and restrictions on the number of guns an individual may acquire.

Premier Roger Cook underlined how critical it is that these changes be passed quickly to provide the police with the tools they need to stop any damage.

"The police should be given the powers that they need to be able to intervene, and make sure that they can arrest the situation and make sure that they can take those guns out of harm's way," Cook said.