Photo: Massachusetts State Police
Police in Massachusetts have launched a manhunt for an "armed and dangerous" father of four accused of killing his wife inside their home before their children ran to a neighbor seeking help.
Aaron Pennington, 33, is accused in relation to the death of Breanne Pennington, 30, according to a Massachusetts State Police news release shared on its Facebook account. Breanne Pennington was found dead by police in her upstairs bedroom with an apparent gunshot wound to her face Sunday (October 22), according to a criminal complaint obtained by WCVB.
The document states that the couple's four children -- ages 2, 5, 7 and 9 -- went to a neighbor's house seeking help at around 9:14 a.m. on Sunday, which led to police locating their mother's body.
"Four children came over to her house scared because they could not find their father and their mother was in her bedroom crying," the application states via WCVB. "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."
Three shell casings were found in the bedroom, however, no weapons were located inside the home. Aaron Pennington is accused of unlawfully possessing a firearm without a license in the criminal complaint.
On Monday (October 23), a white 2013 BMW 320 confirmed to have belonged to Pennington was found in a wooded area of Gardner near the Ashburnham town line at around 5:00 p.m. local time. The car is considered to be a suspect vehicle in relation to the homicide case.
Pennington remains at large and authorities said he should be considered "armed and dangerous," according to Washington County District Attorney Joe Early via WCVB. Police described him as a 6-foot-2-inch white male with blond hair and blue eyes weighing approximately 175 pounds.
The couple's children were taken to the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families Sunday evening, according to Early.