Massachusetts cops 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 remained on the run for three days after allegedly fatally shooting 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 woodland near his home in Gardner, Massachusetts, which became the focal point of the search.
In a Tuesday press conference, authorities said they were expanding the manhunt throughout a 500-plus acre forest after a number of law enforcement agencies and tactical teams descended on the area.
Aaron Pennington, 33, remains at large for a third day after allegedly fatally shooting his wife Breanne in the face on Sunday morning
Pennington allegedly gunned down his wife at a time when she was planning on leaving him and taking their children to Texas, court documents have revealed
A huge police presence and tactical teams descended on a wooded area near his home in Gardner, Massachusetts, on Tuesday as the manhunt was expanded
A line of law enforcement vehicles on the scene, which has seen several agencies including the state Special Tactical Operations team aid the manhunt
After Pennington’s vehicle was discovered Monday, a code red warning was issued to residents in the region to stay inside their homes for several hours.
Officials said the warning was only instated out of ‘an abundance of caution,’ but added in an update on Tuesday they were resuming in the area near Camp Collier, a common woodland for Boy Scout troops.
Investigators added they are ‘operating on the assumption he is still alive’, and warned the public not to approach Pennington if they believe they see him as he is considered armed and highly dangerous.
When asked if his military experience could play into the manhunt, officials acknowledged that survivalist skills are ‘part of the training’ and it was ‘part of the equation’ in the search.
Pennington spent eight years in the US Air Force as a ‘special missions aircraft maintainer’ and now works at Raytheon Missiles & Defense, where he also holds an ‘active secret clearance,’ according to his LinkedIn profile.
He is described as white and 6-feet 2-inches tall, with blond hair and blue eyes.
Several agencies, including the state Special Tactical Operations team, descended on the area Tuesday morning after the car was found.
Crews were seen armed with tactical gear, including long guns, while helicopters circled overhead.
A helicopter seen deployed overhead as the search was expanded. On Tuesday, officials admitted Pennington’s military background could help him in survivalist situations, and it is ‘part of the equation’ in the manhunt
Pennington is described as 6-feet 2-inches 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 city of Gardner
Pennington allegedly shot his wife in their home on Sunday morning at around 9am, leading the couple’s four children – aged two, five, seven and nine – to run to a neighbor’s home.
A trooper on the scene reported that the children ran to their neighbor as they were ‘scared because they could not find their father and their mother was in her bedroom crying.’
When cops entered the home, they found Breanne in an upstairs bedroom with a gunshot wound to the face, and Aaron’s car was gone from the driveway.
The complaint alleges that Pennington owns an illegally possessed firearm without a license to carry, and although three shell casings were found in the bedroom, no firearms were found inside the home.
Breanne was also known to keep a gun in the home for protection, police said.
Surveillance video showed the 33-year-old fleeing in a white BMW sedan at 8.50am Sunday.
Breanne, 30, was found with a gunshot wound to the face in her home on Sunday morning
The couple have four young children, who fled to a neighbor’s house after the attack, claiming their mother was ‘in her bedroom crying’
As cops continue to hunt for Pennington for a third day, Breanne’s heartbroken family shared their shock at losing the ‘loving, caring, compassionate’ mother-of-four.
‘We’re all in shock about this. We’re all in shock. We had no idea something like this would ever happen,’ Brooke Pertile, Breanne’s sister, told Boston25.
‘He better turn himself in. He needs to stand up for what he did, and turn himself in. And not be a coward. He needs to turn himself in. He needs to do it for the kids.’
Pertile said her sister lived for their children, and was a ‘very loving, caring, compassionate woman’ who ‘always saw the best in everything and people.’
‘She definitely lit up the room like no other, any room that she walked in,’ she added.
A criminal complaint has revealed the Penningtons’ marriage was troubled, as Breanne was planning to take their children to Texas and away from Aaron.
The complaint also alleges that Aaron had been suffering from mental illness and had threatened to take his own life.
‘He, on the outside, he was a very nice person. But he’s been struggling with some mental health issues. They just were getting worse,’ said Breanne’s sister, who said she had spoken to her just three days before the shooting.
The couple’s children who ran for help are now reportedly in state care.
Gardner Mayor Michael Nicholson said although the city has received numerous requests to hold a vigil for Breanne, he asked for them to be delayed ‘due to the fact that the investigation is still ongoing and since the suspect is still at large.’
Pennington spent eight years in the US Air Force as a ‘special missions aircraft maintainer’ and now works at Raytheon Missiles & Defense, where he also holds an ‘active secret clearance,’ according to his LinkedIn profile
Tributes have poured in for Breanne after her passing, with an old friend describing her as an amazing mom, hilarious friend, and a truly sweet soul’
After news of her death broke, social media was flooded with posts commemorating Breanne’s life, with several women mentioning they knew her from an online group for expecting mothers.
‘Imagine my shock when I was scrolling and said to myself ‘That looks like Breezy’s husband, what happened?’ just to find out he murdered her and ran away,’ one woman wrote.
‘I’m absolutely SICK over this and thinking of her four precious babies. Breezy Pennington was an amazing mom, hilarious friend, and a truly sweet soul.’
‘I am hurt, sad, frustrated, angry, and most of all confused why someone has to take someone else’s life because they are unhappy,’ another friend wrote.
‘We all want justice for you and want nothing but the best for your 4 beautiful children that we all know you loved sooooo much.’