5-year-old boy shot and killed while playing with his sisters, neighbor arrested

N.C. (WIFR) - A North Carolina man has been arrested in connection with the shooting death of a 5-year-old boy who was playing in his front yard with his two sisters.

Darius N. Sessoms, 25, of Wilson, N.C., was in custody Monday night and has been charged with first-degree murder, according to the New York Daily News.

The 5-year-old was identified by family members as Cannon Hinnant, according to the New York Daily News.

Cannon was shot in the head while playing outside of his father’s home Sunday, his family said. He died after being taken to the Wilson Medical Center, according to officials.

The young boy’s father is next-door neighbors with Sessoms. Police do not believe the shooting was random but have not released a potential motive.

A woman who said she witnessed the horrific incident claimed Sessoms shot Cannon, then ran back into his own house.

“My first reaction was he’s playing with the kids,” Doris Lybrand said, according to the New York Daily News. “For a second, I thought, ‘That couldn’t happen.’ People don’t run across the street and kill kids.”

Cannon’s mother said the boy’s 7-year-old and 8-year-old sisters witnessed the shooting, which police were alerted of at around 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

The arrest of Sessoms was made in Goldsboro, N.C., and he is in custody at the Wilson County jail without bond.

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