What happened to Cannon Hinnant? North Carolina man sentenced to life without parole over 2020 killing of 5-year-old boy

On Thursday, December 29, North Carolina man Darius Sessoms pleaded guilty to the murder of five-year-old Cannon Hinnant.

As per Law&Crime, the then 23-year-old Darius Sessoms was a neighbor of Cannon Hinnant at the time of the August 9, 2020, murder. Sessoms, who was reportedly known to be friendly with Hinnant's family, fatally shot the five-year-old at point-blank range near his home.

In January of this year, North Carolina prosecutors stated they were seeking the death penalty for Sessoms. However, by pleading guilty to the murder on December 29, the convicted killer guaranteed that he would receive a sentence of life in prison.

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Assistant District Attorney states that Darius Sessoms' murder of Cannon Hinnant indicates an "unusual depravity of the mind"

According to Assistant District Attorney Joel Stadiem, there may have been no rational reason for Darius Sessoms to murder the five-year-old. He stated that the random and inhumane nature of the crime might be a clear indication of mental illness in the convicted murderer.

Stadiem said:

“(It shows an) unusual depravity of the mind (when) a defendant has walked over to a 5-year-old playing in his own yard and walked up to that child and intentionally shot this child in the head.”

ABC reported that the Cannon's father, Austin Hinnant, had beer with Sessoms the night before the killing. Austin said that the two men had no argument before the course of events. In a statement to WRAL TV, he said:

"There wasn't anything between me and him, any bad blood whatsoever, for him to have a reason to do this."

Austin continued:

"I have no idea why he did what he did. It was literally out of nowhere. He puts a gun to my son’s head and shoots him."

Dori Lybrand, who was at the scene of the killing, said that it shocked the community. Even after witnessing the shooting, she said, she could not fathom what had happened. Lybrand said:

“My first reaction was he’s playing with the kids. For a second, I thought, ‘That couldn’t happen.’ People don’t run across the street and kill kids.”

Additionally, Rachel Pipkin, the victim's aunt, stated that Sessons used to play with the children, and that she could never imagine him carrying out the brutal murder:

“We used to play together and I never thought he’d kill someone."

Fox reported that according to Sessom's parents, the convicted shooter was most likely on drugs and experiencing hallucinations at the time he committed the act of violence.

Cannon Hinnant's mother, Bonnie Parker, commented on Sessoms' decision to plead guilty, saying:

“Knowing that we are walking out of here today and we don’t have to come back. We don’t have to see him. My girls do not have to testify in court. That was the whole reason why he took this plea. It was best for him to take this plea so it would not have to get our girls up there.”

Cannon Hinnant's sisters, who were seven and eight years old, were present at the time of the murder.