Massachusetts police searching for Air Force veteran suspected of killing wife; residents urged to stay vigilant

GARDNER, Mass. — Police in Massachusetts are searching for a military veteran wanted in connection with the fatal shooting of his wife, whose body was found in the couple's home on Sunday.

Investigators have asked for the public's help as their search for 33-year-old Aaron Pennington continued Tuesday near Camp Collier in Gardner, Massachusetts. Police were focused on about 400 acres of the Camp Collier, a land trust used by Boy Scouts, Gardner Police Chief Eric McAvene said at a news conference Tuesday.

A bowhunter discovered Pennington’s car in the area on Monday, according to Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early. Pennington is a suspect in the shooting of his wife, Breanne Pennington, 30, who was found dead at their Gardner home on Sunday.

Pennington is considered to be "armed and dangerous," according to police.

“Thank God that hunter – I don’t know when or where we might have found that car, but there was a bowhunter going through the area and he found the vehicle and he immediately notified the Gardner police,” Early said Tuesday, adding that the vehicle was not visible from the road.

Early said investigators wanted residents who may have trail cameras or any type of surveillance cameras in the area to contact police. McAvene added that investigators were continuing to search the heavily wooded area on the assumption that Pennington was still alive, on the run, and armed with a handgun.

“We ask, please, no one in the public go out and try to look for this guy,” Early said. “If you run into the guy, call the Gardner police, call the state police, call the police department and just back off from anything you might see, but provide us with the information that you might get.”

The ongoing investigation is being led by state police detectives assigned to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office and the Gardner Police Department.

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Residents told to stay vigilant, temporarily shelter-in-place

McAvene said that residents in the area should remain vigilant while the search continues. Early said investigators were in contact with the military to find out what kind of outdoor survival training Pennington, an Air Force veteran, might have undergone while in the service.

“Pay attention to your surroundings and report anything immediately to the police,” McAvene warned.

Pennington's vehicle was discovered at 5 p.m. Monday in the area of Kelton Street near Camp Collier. The Massachusetts State Police Special Tactical Operations Team determined that the car was unoccupied.

Police conducted a five-hour search of the area while nearby residents were advised to shelter in place. The order was lifted at about 9:50 p.m. Monday.

According to Krista Williams, troopers from the Massachusetts State Police knocked on her door Tuesday morning and requested footage from her Ring doorbell security camera.

“We didn’t have much, just one video of a very blurry white car driving by on Sunday,” Williams said. “(My husband) emailed it to the officer.”

What police say happened to Breanne Pennington

On Sunday, Gardner police received a 911 call from the Penningtons' neighbor, Kerri McDermott, who had requested assistance after the Penningtons’ four children came over to her house, according to the arrest warrant.

The children were scared because they could not find their father, Aaron Pennington, and their mother, Breanne Pennington, was in their bedroom crying, the arrest warrant said.

Shortly before 9:30 a.m., first responders found Breanne Pennington lying in bed in an upstairs bedroom with “obvious signs of death from an apparent gunshot wound to the face,” according to the arrest warrant.

Investigators learned that the couple has been dealing with “marital issues for quite some time,” the arrest warrant states. Early said their four children, ages 2, 5, 7, and 9, were safe and in the custody of the state Department of Children and Families as of Sunday evening.

An arrest warrant for Aaron Pennington was issued on Monday. Pennington faces charges of possession of a firearm without a license to carry.

Pennington suffers from “mental issues and had threatened suicide,” according to the arrest warrant.

Breanne Pennington was known to have a firearm at the residence for her protection, according to the arrest warrant. Court records show that she had been planning to move to Texas and leave her husband behind.

Vigil for Breanne Pennington on hold as search continues

Plans for a vigil honoring Breanne Pennington in Gardner are being placed on hold for the time being, Mayor Michael Nicholson said Monday. He wrote that several individuals had reached out to his office about holding a vigil for Pennington.

“Due to the fact that the investigation is still ongoing and since the suspect is still at large, at the recommendation of the Police Department, we are asking that no vigils be held at this time,” Nicholson said. “Additionally, the city will not approve or issue any park permit applications for any public spaces for vigils related to this matter until such safety concerns are alleviated and the investigation reaches the appropriate point.”

Nicholson stressed that Gardner is a community that is always there for its neighbors in times of trouble.