Family, community come together to say goodbye to slain N.C. 5-year-old
WILSON, N.C. (WRAL/WMBF)- Hours before he was killed last Sunday, Cannon Hinnant was at church.
The 5-year-old was described as a lovable child who was very friendly. On Thursday evening, the parking lot of a Wilson funeral home filled up as the family prepared to say goodbye, according to WRAL, the NBC affiliate in Raleigh.
At the funeral home, people couldn't stop beaming about Cannon.
“Cannon is an amazing young man. I’ve had the honor to be his campus pastor for the last year and a half, and he is just an amazing guy,” said Daryl High, who served as Cannon’s youth pastor at the Wave Church.
He said Cannon had a huge personality.
“His smile is huge. His personality is big. You could not help to be changed when you met Cannon. If a word wasn’t said, you can’t help to be changed,” said High.
Darrius Sessoms, 25, was charged with first-degree murder in Cannon’s death and was arrested Monday after the shooting on Archers Road.During a brief court hearing Tuesday morning, he said he planned to hire his own lawyer and rejected an attempt to have a judge appoint an attorney for him.
Family members said Cannon was playing outside his father's house around 5 p.m. Sunday when he was shot in the head. The boy's two sisters, ages 8 and 7, saw their brother get shot, according to Cannon's mother.
Cannon was taken to Wilson Medical Center, where he died.
On Thursday night, pastors tried to explain the unexplainable to those who knew and loved Cannon.
