Police hunt for Aaron Pennington after wife Breanne Pennington killed

A Massachusetts mom was found dead inside her home Sunday and police have launched a manhunt for her “armed and dangerous” husband after their four young children alerted a neighbor to the gruesome crime, according to authorities.

Officers from multiple agencies are searching for Aaron Pennington, 33, in connection to the death of his spouse Breanne Pennington, 30, in the city of Gardner, Massachusetts State Police said in news releases.

Breanna Pennington was found by police in an upstairs bedroom with an apparent gunshot wound to her face Sunday morning, according to an application for a criminal complaint obtained by WCVB.

The discovery was made after the couple’s four children – ages 2, 5, 7, and 9 — went over to a neighbor’s house to ask for help, the document states.

“Four children came over to her house scared because they could not find their father and their mother was in her bedroom crying,” a trooper reportedly wrote in the application.

“The four children were known to reside with their parents at 42 Cherry Street in the city of Gardner. The children also stated that their father’s vehicle was no longer in the residence’s driveway.”

Along with the victim, three shell casings were also found in the bedroom, but no weapon, WCVB reported.

Aaron Pennington, who is a US veteran, is believed to be operating a white BMW 320, state police said.

If anyone in the public sees Pennington, they are advised not to approach him and instead call 911, police said.

“Pennington may be armed with a firearm,” police stated. “He should be considered armed and dangerous.”

In a latest development in the search Monday, Gardner police issued a shelter-in-place for residents near part of the city that is heavily wooded, the Gardner News reported.  

The husband so far has been charged with possession of a firearm without a license to carry, the Telegram and Gazette reported.

Investigators said the couple was facing “marital issues for quite some time,” according to the police documents reported on by the news outlet.

Breanne Pennington planned to move to Texas with their kids to get away from her husband, police reportedly wrote.

She was known to have a gun at the home for her protection, police docs said, while also noting Aaron Pennington deals with “mental issues and had threatened suicide.”

The four kids are in custody of the state Department of Children and Families, the Telegram and Gazette reported.