Bonny Waddell and her daughters are distraught after losing little Cannon Hinnant, who had been just enjoying his Sunday when he was shot.
Having to bury one's own child over something completely unexpected can change a person's life forever. The grief and pain can be unimaginable for the family.
Cannon Hinnant, all of 5, was shot dead by a neighbor while he was riding his bike outside his house. The accused killer Daris Sessoms who shot the child in the head at close range could be facing the death penalty if he gets convicted. Until August 9, the day of the shooting, Cannon's father Austin and Darius were on friendly terms, and the two even ate dinner together the night before. It is not known why Darius killed the child.
Bonny Waddell, Cannon's mother, who lost him on August 9 has opened up about her grief. She shared her pain on Facebook and expressed the grief Cannon's siblings' are going through. "This has been really really tough on my girls," Bonny said of her daughters. They were present at the scene and saw their brother getting killed, according to Knewz.
"Seems like every day passing gets harder and harder for us both," said the mother. "We have begged and begged for our baby boy back, their best friend, their person," she added.
Darius, 25, lived next door to Austin and was arrested over the boy's death and charged with first-degree murder. He fleed the scene after the attack and was arrested within 24 hours.
Other members of the little child's family are still reeling with their loss. "We shouldn’t even be here," Cannon’s grandfather, Merrill Race, told ABC News. "Cannon was the type of kid that was always polite, kind of laid back. But he was a beautiful little kid," he added. The 5-year-old boy's father said, "Cannon was a loving child. He loved going to Church. He lit up any room he walked into. I mean, any store we were in, he would talk to a stranger."
The Hinnant patriarch said that it was a usual Sunday afternoon and his children were riding their bikes outside to enjoy their day but within 20 to 30 minutes of them going outside he heard gunshots. He was in his home and ran outside to see what happened.
"The first thing I see is my son laying on the ground and it crossed my mind that maybe he just fell off his bike. As I got closer to him and I scooped him up in my arms I realized … how horrific it was… I had to scoop my son up and hold him in my arms as blood ran down my arm and all I could do was pray to God," said Austin.
Speaking about his relationship with Darius, he said, "We’ve been neighbors for eight years. We had just been cordial neighbors, like anybody else. We would speak when we saw one another and he may walk over and talk to me for a few moments and vice-versa."
The night before when they drank beer on the porch and ate together, he could tell that Darius was disturbed about something. "He looked like he had a lot on his mind and I was cooking chicken on the grill so I invited him into my home… We’re supporters of God and I just told him that, ‘God tells us to love our neighbors,'" said Austin.
The family is still not prepared to hold a public ceremony for their child but are taking the time to mourn and heal. "[Cannon] loved everyone and he would ask that we all come together in his name and try to unite this country and love one another," said Austin.
Meanwhile, Cannon's mother is ready to fight for justice for her child. She wants Darius to get capital punishment in retribution for her loss. "We will get our justice and I’m taking every damn body down right with him!” she wrote in one Facebook post, according to Oxygen. She added later, "I lost my child, I lost my innocent child, and no one can give me him back. I will burn this country down if it’s what it’ll take to see this man burn in hell. I’m ready to flip this county upside down."
We hope that the grieving family gets justice soon. A GoFundMe page has been set up to cover expenses to raise the child.
References:
https://knewz.com/mother-of-cannon-hinnant/
https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/cannon-hinnant-murder-mom-says-darius-sessoms-will-rot-in-hell
