Cannon Hinnant’s mother made her wishes clear in an effort to secure justice for her murdered five-year-old son who police say was shot dead by his father’s neighbor, Darius Sessoms, after the child rode his bike on Sessoms’s lawn.
Darius Sessoms, 25, is alleged to have shot Cannon Hinnant, 5, in the head at point blank range for riding his bike in his front yard when he was playing outside with his older sisters, 7 and 8.
After law enforcement located and arrested Sessoms the following day at a Goldsboro home, he was charged with first degree murder. As the crime took place in North Carolina, Sessoms, if convicted, could face the death penalty given the severity of his alleged crime.
Speaking with WSOCTV, Bonny Waddell, Cannon Hinnant’s mother, revealed her intentions on her quest to achieve justice for her son’s coldblooded murder.
“My baby didn’t deserve this,” Waddell said. “He had the biggest smile, the biggest eyes.”
“We lost a big piece of our family,” she added. “We all. He changed all of our lives. He touched everybody that he knew.”
Waddell then addressed how both of Cannon’s older sisters and young aunt were forced to watch him die in an mercilessly cruel act.
Cannon’s murder became international news as the alternative media drove its coverage on the internet. Days later, the mainstream media pallidly and reluctantly covered the story in an effort to save face.
Social media has blown up with the “Say his Name” hashtag trending. But some have not been compelled by the movement, arguing that Cannon Hinnant will receive justice as his killer remains behind bars without bond, but Breonna Taylor will not be afforded the same privileges.
Despite Cannon’s alleged killer remaining behind bars, the family wishes to pursue the maximum punishment.
“I want the death penalty and I’m gonna seek it,” Waddell said.
Some have celebrated Cannon’s murder, with one person calling the crime “revenge” and another laughing at his “white privileged” brains being blown out.
A 20,000-strong Facebook group “Justice for Darius Sessoms” was formed, with members calling Sessoms a “political prisoner.” Since the murder, a doctored Wilson Police Department press release, fraught with grammatical and spelling mistakes, went viral in an effort to steer the narrative away from the coldblooded murder.
