Police have arrested a second suspect in the shooting death of a 5-year-old North Carolina boy.
Police in Wilson County, North Carolina, arrested Aolani Takemi Marie Pettit, 21, earlier this week and charged her with aiding Darius Sessoms, 25, after he allegedly murdered <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cnn-finally-covers-murder-of-5-year-old-cannon-hinnant-in-200-word-blurb">Cannon Hinnant</a>, 5, on Aug. 9, according to <a href="https://wcti12.com/news/local/second-arrest-made-in-shooting-death-of-5-year-old-cannon-hinnant">WCTI</a>. Pettit allegedly helped Sessoms escape from the police before he was found the next day, taken into custody, and charged with first-degree murder.
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/black-man-arrested-for-allegedly-executing-white-five-year-old-boy-in-front-of-sisters">The Daily Wire</a> reported at the time of the alleged murder:
<blockquote>On Sunday, 25-year-old black male Darius Sessoms allegedly murdered 5-year-old Cannon Hinnant, who is white, in Wilson, North Carolina, in front of the boy’s two young sisters.
Sessoms, who lived the next house over from the victim’s father, ran across the lawn to Hinnant and shot him in the head at point-blank range as his two sisters, ages seven and eight, looked on, neighbors said, <a href="https://www.wral.com/man-charged-in-5-year-old-s-death-lives-next-door-to-boy-s-father/19228045/">according</a> to WRAL.com. Hinnant was in the front yard riding his bike.
The boy’s father, too distraught to speak to local news on camera, was heard screaming after the shooting, witnesses said. The man rushed out to hold his bleeding son before Hinnant was rushed to nearby medical center, where he was later pronounced dead.</blockquote>
Cannon’s grandmother <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gofundme-for-murdered-5-year-old-cannon-hinnant-explodes-mother-speaks-out-on-death-penalty">created</a> a fundraiser on GoFundMe following his death to help out Cannon’s family with any expenses related to his service. The fundraiser earned over $800,000 before its organizer disabled new donations.
“On Sunday, August 9th, this precious angel was playing outside with his siblings when he was murdered,” the fundraiser’s description states. “He was merely doing what he would do any other day and that’s playing with his sisters, riding his bike, doing what kids do and all of the innocence that comes with being a child.
“This family has faced unimaginable pain because of this senseless act of violence,” the description continues. “We are asking for your donations to assist with anything that may be needed for expenses related to his services. We offer our sincerest appreciation in this extremely difficult time.”
Bonny Waddell, Hinnant’s mother, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gofundme-for-murdered-5-year-old-cannon-hinnant-explodes-mother-speaks-out-on-death-penalty">wrote</a> an emotional Facebook post after her 5-year-old’s death.
“This man will answer to me,” Waddell wrote. “That man will see me and my son through my face! This sorry excuse as a human being will rot in hell.”
“My heart has been taken from me,” she added.
“I will burn this country down if it’s what it’ll take to see [the alleged shooter] burn in hell,” she wrote in another post. “I’m ready to flip this country upside down. … We will get our justice and I’m taking every damn body down right with him!”
In an interview shortly after her son’s death, she called for Sessoms to be put to death.
“We lost a big piece of our family. We all. He changed all of our lives. He touched everybody he knew,” she said. “This man took my girls when he took my baby. They know he’s in a better place.”
“I want death penalty and I’m gonna seek it,” she added.

Handcuffs

Second Person Charged In Death Of 5-Year-Old Cannon Hinnant

Cannon Hinnant

Crime

North Carolina

A New Jersey detention officer, referring to 5-year-old Cannon Hinnant, who was shot to death in an execution-style murder as he was riding a bicycle, allegedly <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/08/19/nj-officer-suspended-for-facebook-post-about-dead-boy/">wrote</a> that Cannon “should’ve ducked.”
The Facebook page of Rome Smith, an officer at the Cumberland County Juvenile Detention Center, stated, ““He should’ve ducked. Y’all always trying to sneak diss and discredit a black person being killed innocently by police. Blame cannon’s parents for not watching him!!! F Y’ALL.”
<div id="attachment_139704" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-139704" class="size-medium wp-image-139704" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/rome-smith-300x269.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="269" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/08/rome-smith-300x269.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/08/rome-smith.jpg 522w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Screenshot from Facebook</div>
NJ.com <a href="https://www.nj.com/cumberland/2020/08/nj-detention-officer-suspended-for-saying-5-year-old-killed-in-north-carolina-shouldve-ducked.html">reported</a> that Smith had been suspended, adding, “In a statement that did not identify Smith by name, county officials confirmed the suspension and condemned the remarks as ‘shockingly insensitive and racist in tone.’” <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/should-ve-ducked-n-j-detention-officer-suspended-over-facebook-n1237123">NBC News</a> confirmed the suspension, noting, “A spokeswoman for the county, Jody Hirata, confirmed to NBC News that Smith is an employee of the county and has been suspended over the post.”
“We will not tolerate county employees using social media to broadcast hateful messages,” Cumberland County Freeholder Director Joseph Derella said. “This is not who we are and we intend to pursue the strongest action available to us.”
“Records indicate Smith has been enrolled in the state pension system for 26 years and his salary is $56,678,” NJ.com wrote.
Cannon Hinnant was allegedly murdered by 25-year-old Darius Sessoms in Wilson, North Carolina, on August 9 in front of the boy&#8217;s two young sisters.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
5-year-old Cannon Hinnant laid to rest after allegedly being gunned down by neighbor <a href="https://t.co/EMNVQTD4Nx">https://t.co/EMNVQTD4Nx</a> <a href="https://t.co/EtB6UWd3cC">pic.twitter.com/EtB6UWd3cC</a>
&mdash; New York Post (@nypost) <a href="https://twitter.com/nypost/status/1294680533306429442?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/black-man-arrested-for-allegedly-executing-white-five-year-old-boy-in-front-of-sisters">reported</a> on August 11:
<blockquote>Sessoms, who lived the next house over from the victim&#8217;s father, ran across the lawn to Hinnant and shot him in the head at point-blank range as his two sisters, ages seven and eight, looked on, neighbors said, <a href="https://www.wral.com/man-charged-in-5-year-old-s-death-lives-next-door-to-boy-s-father/19228045/">according</a> to WRAL.com. Hinnant was in the front yard riding his bike. The boy&#8217;s father, too distraught to speak to local news on camera, was heard screaming after the shooting, witnesses said. The man rushed out to hold his bleeding son before Hinnant was rushed to nearby medical center, where he was later pronounced dead.</blockquote>
Sessoms took off in a black vehicle after the shooting and was not apprehended until Monday by U.S. Marshals Service Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force, Goldsboro police, and the Wayne County Sheriff&#8217;s Office, according to a <a href="https://www.wral.com/wilson-man-wanted-in-fatal-shooting-of-5-year-old-apprehended/19227849/">report</a> from WRAL.com. The suspect has been charged with first-degree murder and is being held without bond at the Wilson County jail.
Cannon’s father, Austin Hinnant, at whose home the tragedy occurred, recalled to <a href="https://www.wral.com/father-of-slain-5-year-old-everybody-loved-cannon-he-lit-up-the-room/19233827/">WRAL</a>, &#8220;They were just playing in the yard like any other day,&#8221; adding that he heard a gunshot as his fiancée walked into the house.
&#8220;The first thing that went through my mind was maybe he just fell off his bike,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The closer I got to him, the more I realized it was something far more serious.&#8221;
&#8220;I screamed, &#8216;Somebody, please help me save my son! Help me save my son, please,'&#8221; he continued.“They can’t imagine what’s it’s like to hold your son while he’s suffering from a gunshot wound to the head, as his blood runs down my arm &#8230; As they began to work on my son, I immediately dropped to my knees and I just prayed to God, I said, &#8216;God, You’re the most righteous and all-powerful. Please just place Your hand on my son.&#8217; And that’s at the top of my lungs.&#8221;
&#8220;He did place His hand on my son, not in the way that we all wished, but we’re hoping that this tragic accident can bring some love to this world because that’s what Cannon would want,&#8221; the boy&#8217;s father added. &#8220;We’re relying on our faith in God.”

Bicycle Against White Wall

NJ Detention Officer Allegedly Mocks 5-Year-Old Cannon Hinnant’s Murder: ‘He Should’ve Ducked’

A <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/justice-for-cannon">GoFundMe</a> account set up for the parents of slain 5-year-old North Carolina boy Cannon Hinnant raised more than $750,000 as of Monday morning, only five days after the Cannon&#8217;s grandmother set up the account.
Last Sunday, 25-year-old Darius Sessoms, who lives next door to Cannon&#8217;s father, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/black-man-arrested-for-allegedly-executing-white-five-year-old-boy-in-front-of-sisters">allegedly shot the boy in the head</a> at point-blank range while he was riding his bike and his two young sisters, aged seven and eight, looked on.
&#8220;On Sunday, August 9th, this precious angel was playing outside with his siblings when he was murdered,&#8221; <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/justice-for-cannon">says</a> the GoFundMe, which has been verified by WRAL. &#8220;He was merely doing what he would do any other day and that’s playing with his sisters, riding his bike, doing what kids do and all of the innocence that comes with being a child.&#8221;
&#8220;This family has faced unimaginable pain because of this senseless act of violence,&#8221; the post continues. &#8220;We are asking for your donations to assist with anything that may be needed for expenses related to his services. We offer our sincerest appreciation in this extremely difficult time. #justice for Cannon.&#8221;
According to <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/08/12/mom-of-5-year-old-allegedly-killed-by-neighbor-suspect-will-rot-in-hell/">the New York Post,</a> Cannon&#8217;s mother, Bonny Waddell, expressed her grief over her son&#8217;s murder via Facebook.
“This man will answer to me,” she posted Tuesday, referring to Sessoms. “That man will see me and my son through my face! This sorry excuse as a human being will rot in hell.”
“My heart has been taken from me,&#8221; the grieving mother added.
In another post, Waddell said Cannon&#8217;s two sisters, who witnessed his murder, &#8220;just lost a puzzle piece, their best friend, a piece of their heart.&#8221;
“I will burn this country down if it’s what it’ll take to see [the alleged shooter] burn in hell,” she wrote. “I’m ready to flip this country upside down. &#8230; We will get our justice and I’m taking every d*** body down right with him!”
Waddell, according to WRAL, said she lost a piece of her heart on Sunday when Cannon was taken from her and will be seeking the death penalty over his murder. “We lost a big piece of our family. We all. He changed all of our lives. He touched everybody he knew,” she said. “This man took my girls when he took my baby. They know he’s in a better place.&#8221;
“I want death penalty and I’m gonna seek it,” Waddell said.
&#8220;According to the <a href="https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/executions/execution-database?filters%5Bstate%5D=North%20Carolina" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Death Penalty Information Center</a>, the last time North Carolina executed a person was in August 2006,&#8221; The Blaze <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/cannon-hinnant-justice-mother-death-penalty?utm_content=buffer7930a&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=tw-theblaze">noted</a> Sunday. &#8220;After spending 12 years on death row, Samuel Flippen was put to death by lethal injection at Central Prison in Raleigh.&#8221;
Flippen was convicted of first-degree murder of his 2-year-old stepdaughter Britnie Nichole Hutton in 1994.
&#8220;During the trial in 1995, prosecutors argued that Flippen started beating his stepdaughter because she was crying,&#8221; The <a href="https://www.starnewsonline.com/article/NC/20060817/news/605139892/WM" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Associated Press</a> said of the crime in 2006, The Blaze noted. &#8220;The child died from a blow to the abdomen that was so hard it cut her pancreas in half and tore her liver, prosecutors said.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sayhisname-trends-after-media-refuse-to-report-on-alleged-murder-of-5-year-old-cannon-hinnant">#SayHisName Trends After Media Refuse To Report On Murder Of 5-Year-Old Cannon Hinnant</a>

USA, New York State, New York City, Crime scene barrier tape

GoFundMe For Murdered 5-Year-Old Cannon Hinnant Explodes, Mother Speaks Out On Death Penalty

GoFundMe

On Thursday, the funeral was held for Cannon Hinnant, the 5-year-old boy who was allegedly murdered in an execution-style shooting by his neighbor in front of his 8 and 7-year-old sisters Sunday night while riding his bike in Wilson, North Carolina.
Cannon’s grandfather, Merrill Race, distraught, told <a href="https://abc11.com/wilson-family-holds-funeral-service-for-5-year-old-cannon-hinnant/6368478/?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot">ABC11</a>, “We shouldn&#8217;t even be here.” His grandson, who was supposed to start kindergarten this week, was a &#8220;beautiful kid&#8221; who loved playing outside, said Race.
Race said of Darius Sessoms, the 25-year-old neighbor who has been charged with first-degree murder of Cannon, &#8220;That&#8217;s evil. I never met this guy in my life, but that is one evil dude. He&#8217;s there where he should be.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;ll never be behind us,&#8221; Race, a member of the local Guardians of the Children, concluded. &#8220;He&#8217;ll always be with us, but we&#8217;re going to get through it.&#8221;
Cannon&#8217;s stepfather, Lee Parker, also spoke about the tragic incident. &#8220;He meant the world to me, just like all the other kids that are mine I helped raise,&#8221; said Parker.
&#8220;I received the call, man,&#8221; he said of receiving the phone call that Cannon had been shot. &#8220;I was riding down the road, and I just blacked out, couldn&#8217;t even think for a few seconds, took me a minute to register it.&#8221;
Cannon’s father, Austin Hinnant, at whose home the tragedy occurred, recalled to <a href="https://www.wral.com/father-of-slain-5-year-old-everybody-loved-cannon-he-lit-up-the-room/19233827/">WRAL</a>, &#8220;They were just playing in the yard like any other day,&#8221; adding that he heard a gunshot as his fiancée walked into the house.
&#8220;The first thing that went through my mind was maybe he just fell off his bike,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The closer I got to him, the more I realized it was something far more serious.&#8221;
&#8220;I screamed, &#8216;Somebody, please help me save my son! Help me save my son, please,'&#8221; he continued.“They can’t imagine what’s it’s like to hold your son while he’s suffering from a gunshot wound to the head, as his blood runs down my arm &#8230; As they began to work on my son, I immediately dropped to my knees and I just prayed to God, I said, &#8216;God, You’re the most righteous and all-powerful. Please just place Your hand on my son.&#8217; And that’s at the top of my lungs.&#8221;
&#8220;He did place His hand on my son, not in the way that we all wished, but we’re hoping that this tragic accident can bring some love to this world because that’s what Cannon would want,&#8221; the boy&#8217;s father added. &#8220;We’re relying on our faith in God.”
Austin Hinnant said that after the shooting, Sessoms, whom Hinnant had invited over for dinner on Saturday night prior to the tragedy, was pacing with his gun in his hand before he drove off.
&#8220;I was looking at him as I was picking up Cannon,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I was so full of rage, but I couldn&#8217;t leave my son&#8217;s side. I wanted to be with my son.&#8221; As a neighbor came over with an EMT bag, Hinnant said, he knelt and prayed.
&#8220;Everybody just loved Cannon,&#8221; he said. &#8220;He lit up the room.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Today is one of those news days that will stick with me. @bryanmimsWRAL and I had the chance to speak with Austin Hinnant, the father of Cannon. Cannon was shot in the head by their neighbor, who just the night before Austin had invited in to share a dinner. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CannonHinnant?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CannonHinnant</a> <a href="https://t.co/qk0sNLPyqX">pic.twitter.com/qk0sNLPyqX</a>
&mdash; Vinnie Boccanfuso (@VinnieBocc) <a href="https://twitter.com/VinnieBocc/status/1293998195714949121?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Cannon Hinnant

Second Person Charged In Death Of 5-Year-Old Cannon Hinnant

NJ Detention Officer Allegedly Mocks 5-Year-Old Cannon Hinnant’s Murder: ‘He Should’ve Ducked’

GoFundMe For Murdered 5-Year-Old Cannon Hinnant Explodes, Mother Speaks Out On Death Penalty

Five-Year-Old Cannon Hinnant’s Funeral: ‘We Shouldn’t Even Be Here’