Massachusetts police are expanding the manhunt for US Air Force veteran Aaron Pennington as they admit his military training is “part of the equation” in the ongoing search.
Pennington, 33, has been on the run for three days after he allegedly fatally shot his wife and mother of his four children, Breanne, 30, in the face on Sunday morning.
The veteran’s white BMW sedan was found abandoned in a wooded area near his home in Gardner, Massachusetts, which became the focus of the search.
In a news conference Tuesday, authorities said they were expanding the manhunt to cover more than 500 acres of forest after a number of law enforcement and tactical teams moved into the area.
Aaron Pennington, 33, remains at large for a third day after he allegedly fatally shot his wife Breanne in the face Sunday morning
Pennington allegedly shot his wife when she planned to leave him and take their children to Texas, court documents show
A large police presence and tactical teams entered a wooded area near his home in Gardner, Massachusetts, on Tuesday as the manhunt expanded
A number of police vehicles were at the scene and several agencies, including the state Special Tactical Operations (STOP) team, assisted in the manhunt
After Pennington’s vehicle was discovered Monday, a red alert was issued to residents in the area, urging them to remain indoors for several hours.
Officials said the warning was issued only out of “extreme caution,” but added in an update Tuesday that it would be resumed in the area near Camp Collier, a shared forest area for Boy Scout troops.
Investigators added that they “operate on the assumption that he is still alive” and warned the public to contact Pennington if they think they see him as he is considered armed and extremely dangerous.
Asked whether his military experience could play a role in the manhunt, officials admitted that survival skills were “part of the training” and “part of the equation” in the search.
Pennington spent eight years in the U.S. Air Force as a “special mission aircraft maintainer” and now works at Raytheon Missiles & Defense, where he also holds an “active classified clearance,” according to his LinkedIn profile.
He is described as white, 1.80 meters tall, with blonde hair and blue eyes.
After the car was found, several agencies responded to the area on Tuesday morning, including the state Special Tactical Operations (STOP) team.
Crews were seen armed with tactical equipment, including long guns, as helicopters circled overhead.
As the search expanded, a helicopter was seen operating overhead. On Tuesday, officials acknowledged Pennington’s military background could help him in survival situations and was “part of the equation” in the manhunt
Pennington is described as six feet tall, with blonde hair and blue eyes and is considered armed and extremely dangerous
The couple’s home in Gardner, Massachusetts, where police found Breanne Pennington, 30, dead in an upstairs bedroom
The 33-year-old veteran’s BMW was found abandoned in a wooded area near the town of Gardner
Pennington allegedly shot his wife in their home around 9 a.m. Sunday morning, causing the couple’s four children – ages two, five, seven and nine – to run to a neighbor’s house.
A police officer on scene reported that the children ran to their neighbor because they were “scared because they couldn’t find their father and their mother was in their bedroom crying.”
When officers entered the home, they found Breanne in an upstairs bedroom with a gunshot wound to the face, and Aaron’s car had disappeared from the driveway.
The complaint alleges Pennington illegally possessed a firearm without a license to carry it, and although three shell casings were found in the bedroom, no firearms were found in the home.
Breanne was also known to keep a gun in the house for protection, police said.
A surveillance video showed the 33-year-old fleeing in a white BMW sedan at 8:50 a.m. on Sunday.
Breanne, 30, was found in her home Sunday morning with a gunshot wound to her face
The couple have four young children who fled to a neighbor’s house after the attack, claiming their mother was “crying in her bedroom.”
As police continue to search for Pennington for a third day, Breanne’s heartbroken family shared their shock at the loss of the “loving, caring, compassionate” mother of four.
“We’re all in shock about this.” We’re all in shock. “We had no idea anything like this would ever happen,” Brooke Pertile, Breanne’s sister, told Boston25.
“He’s doing better. He has to answer for what he did and face himself. And mustn’t be a coward.” “He has to turn himself in. He has to do it for the kids.”
Pertile said her sister lived for her children and was a “very loving, caring, compassionate woman” who “always saw the best in everything and in people.”
“She definitely lit up the room like no one else, every room she walked in,” she added.
A criminal complaint revealed that the Penningtons’ marriage was in trouble because Breanne planned to take her children to Texas and away from Aaron.
The complaint also alleges that Aaron suffered from mental illness and threatened to take his own life.
“He was a very nice person on the outside. But he is struggling with some mental health issues. “It just kept getting worse,” said Breanne’s sister, who said she had spoken to her just three days before the shooting.
The children of the couple who asked for help are now in state custody, according to reports.
Gardner Mayor Michael Nicholson said that while the city has received numerous requests to hold a vigil for Breanne, he has asked to postpone it “due to the fact that the investigation is ongoing and the suspect is still at large.” is at large.”
Pennington spent eight years in the U.S. Air Force as a “special mission aircraft maintainer” and now works at Raytheon Missiles & Defense, where he also holds an “active classified clearance,” according to his LinkedIn profile
Tributes to Breanne poured in after her death, with an old friend describing her as an amazing mother, a hilarious friend and a truly sweet soul.
After news of her death broke, social media was flooded with posts commemorating Breanne’s life. Several women said they knew her from an online group for expectant mothers.
“Imagine my shock when I scrolled and said to myself, ‘That looks like Breezy’s husband, what happened?’ Only to find out he murdered her and ran away,” one woman wrote.
“I am absolutely SICK about this and thinking about her four precious babies.” “Breezy Pennington was an amazing mother, a hilarious friend and a truly sweet soul.”
“I’m hurt, sad, frustrated, angry and most of all confused why someone would have to take someone else’s life because they’re unhappy,” another friend wrote.
“We all want justice for you and only the best for your four beautiful children who we all know you loved so much.”