Cannon Hinnant: Girlfriend of suspect who shot 5-year-old in head arrested for helping him flee town after murder
WILSON, NORTH CAROLINA: The girlfriend of a man who allegedly shot five-year-old Cannon Hinnant in the head while he was riding his bike has also been arrested over the child's death. Aolani Takemi Marie Pettit, 21, was arrested on Tuesday, September 22, in connection to Cannon's murder which had occurred on August 9 in North Carolina. Pettit's boyfriend, Darius Sessoms, 25, is facing a first-degree murder charge in the case, WRAL revealed.
During a court appearance on Wednesday, September 23, it had been alleged that Pettit had helped her boyfriend flee town and had also given him transportation knowing that he had fatally shot dead a child. As per police records, Pettit was charged with felony accessory. The 25-year-old accused was arrested almost 24 hours after the tragedy in which he allegedly approached the boy in front of his father's house and shot him in the head. The child's grandmother revealed that Cannon had been playing outside with his two sisters and was riding his bike when he was murdered.
According to a GoFundMe page that was setup by his grandmother, "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." The grieving family is now seeking justice in the child's death. Cannon's father, Austin Hinnant, spoke to WRAL and shared that the family will be seeking the death penalty in his son's alleged murder. While speaking of Sessoms, Austin shared, "There wasn't anything between me and him, any bad blood whatsoever, for him to have a reason to do this."
We had earlier reported that Cannon's mother, Bonny Waddell had taken to her Facebook handle to share her grief over the loss of her son who had been playing near his father's house in Wilson on August 9. Cannon was shot dead by Darius Sessoms in front of his two sisters, aged seven and eight. In her Facebook post, Bonny had written, "This man will answer to me. 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 how the accused knew her son and how "loving" the child was since he lives next door to Cannon's father.
She also asked people to pray for her young daughters who witnessed the murder. She had written, "They just lost a puzzle piece, their best friend, a piece of their heart." She added, "I will burn this country down if it’s what it’ll take to see [the alleged shooter] burn in hell. I’m ready to flip this country upside down." Bonny had earlier described her son as "a loving kid. He had the biggest heart. It’s devastating. No one should ever have to bury their child. No mother should have to go through this".
Wilson Police have asked anyone with information on the incident to contact 252-399-2323 or Crime Stoppers at 252-243-2255.