Vigil for Murdered Five-Year-Old Cannon Hinnant Draws Massive Crowd

Hundreds of community members and even motorcyclists took part in a memorial ride from Goldsboro to Wilson, North Carolina, to honor the memory of Cannon Hinnant – a five-year-old boy tragically murdered by his own neighbor. Hinnant was riding his bike in the front yard of his family’s home in Wilson when his neighbor allegedly came over and shot him in the head at point-blank range. 

A Heinous Crime

The shooting happened at around 5:30 PM on Archers Road. Police arrived on the scene and found the five-year-old suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. Officers and emergency medical service responders attempted to save Connor, but he later died in the Wilson Medical Center. 

Wilson Police identified the alleged murderer of Cannon as his 25-year-old neighbor Darrius N. Sessoms. Police announced that they had arrested Sessoms and that he was in police custody where he awaits trial. 

The biker tribute on Saturday included a barbecue lunch. When asked about the motive behind the ride, one biker reflected that the rally would “keep Cannon’s name going, and that’s what this is about.” 

Racially Motivated or Senseless Murder

The rally also included some rhetoric that was potentially a criticism of the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement, given that Sessoms is black and Cannon was white. Even so, Cannon’s family say they believe race was not a motivating factor in the crime. His mother is on record, denying that the murder had any kind of racial motivation behind it. 

The police have yet to issue a statement on what they believe to be the motive behind the murder. All they have done is warn people against sharing a fake document claiming to be from the police. The fake document suggests that Sessoms committed the crime because he was high on drugs.