Vigil for Breezy: A message of awareness about the dangers of domestic violence

It was night of music, memories, and a message of hope.

Hundreds of residents, elected officials, and first responders turned out for a vigil at City Hall on Wednesday to honor the life of a Gardner woman whose life was cut tragically short in a deadly act of domestic violence last year.

Breanne “Breezy” Pennington, 30, was shot to death on Oct. 22 in the bedroom of the Cherry Street home she shared with her husband, Aaron, and the couple’s four children.

“It’s taken a long time to get here,” said Brenda Hull, Breanne’s aunt and host of the event, which was sponsored by the Gardner Domestic Violence Task Force. “I’m glad that I’m here because the support from the this community, and the love, has been incredible.”

Hull said the vigil was a chance to raise awareness about the dangers of domestic violence.

“If we can save one life, then that’s one less family that has to go through this,” Hull said.

A tribute to the city's first responders

Mayor Michael Nicholson, after paying tribute to the city’s first responders, said he recalled that he was leaving church on the morning he was notified about the tragic incident that had occurred in the community.

“It was the last I expected to receive, and I wasn’t sure what was going to happen next,” Nicholson said. “But I saw a show of support throughout the community for the family.”

Bernice Richard, president of Voices of Truth and coordinator of the Gardner Domestic Violence Task Force, asked those in attendance to hold up a purple light to display a “flame of hope” for the future.

“This is a message,” Richard said. “This flame represents those who are standing by its side as the light and the strength who will keep the flame shining because we never know who will need our help in this world, those who have been and are affected by domestic violence.”

Event aimed at raising awareness of domestic violence danger

Danielle Drew, the domestic violence advocate for the Gardner Police Department, said the roots of intimate domestic violence arose from the efforts of one person trying to gain and maintain control over their partner.

“When power and control are threatened, this is when you typically see an increase in abusive behavior,” Drew said. “Leaving an abusive relationship is the most dangerous moment for anyone being targeted with power and control because it is the biggest threat to power and control.”

One in three women and one in five men in Massachusetts have experienced intimate partner violence, compared to the national average of one in four women and one in nine men, Drew said.

“As a community, one of the most efficient ways to work against intimate domestic violence is through awareness efforts and collaboration,” Drew said. “Partners who seek power and control want their behavior to stay behind closed doors because they know their behaviors are wrong. We need to come together to amplify the voices of survivors and those who have lost their voice.”

Status of suspect

Aaron Pennington remains on the loose. A murder warrant, issued by the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office and filed in Gardner District Court, suggested that the shooting death of Breanne Pennington had been premediated.

Officials continue to warn the public that Pennington, 33, should be considered armed and dangerous. He is described as a white man with blond hair and blue eyes, 6 feet, 2 inches tall, and approximately 175 pounds. Pennington is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force.

This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Pennington vigil in Gardner brings awareness to domestic violence