No, conservatives, there has not been a "media blackout" about the Cannon Hinnant story!

[markpkessinger]

I've seen this story shared by number of conservatives in the last few days, claiming there had been a coverage "blackout" by the national news media of the story.

My first thought was, "And why would the national media cover this story?" And when I Googled it a couple of days ago, when I firs saw this narrative posted, it was true that there was little coverage in national media outlets. But there was plenty of local coverage. Look, it's a horrific story, and my heart certainly goes out to the boy's family. But national media generally focuses on stories of national significance. I see nothing about this story that would render it of national significance. Horrific crimes, some involving children, do happen from time to time, but unless they connect to a larger national story, the national media generally doesn't cover them.

After a little research, it became clear that this claim of a "blackout" was being peddled as a way of suggesting that the national media was focusing on covering BLM/George Floyd protests at the expense of stories like this. But the BLM stories ARE of national significance. Whatever was behind the murder of this little boy -- police said it was not random, and that the killer was the boy's next-door neighbor -- I don't see that it connects in any way to a larger national story.

Then I stumbled upon another article, which showed a photo of both the boy and the suspect:



and suddenly it became immediately clear what this whole "blackout" narrative was really all about. So what those perpetuating this narrative are attempting to say is that an isolated case of a black man murdering a white child somewhere should be treated as being of the same national significance as police killings of unarmed African Americans, which has occurred in city after city across the country. Sorry, anybody who falls for that is a fool!

This is insidious in so many ways. It conspiracy mongering at its worst, and it feeds into irrational fears by whites of black-on-white crime, which is really quite rare.

God, this country has become such an ugly place!

[LonePirate]

1. I bet national media would take heed if Repubs used this case to advocate for gun control.

[Volaris]

2. You have to be aware that to the peeps who are trying to peddle this nonsense,

Equal Juatice means that trump will spend the rest of his life living on his own golf course, but that black people should be lynched for shoplifting.

Of COURSE they're gonna scream that it's a conspiracy. It's not getting any traction; let them tear their hair out over a nothingberder.

[flotsam]

3. From CNN:

"Austin Hinnant told CNN affiliate WRAL he was inside the home when his son, Cannon, was playing outside and was shot.
Hinnant says he ran outside and scooped up the injured child and held him in his arms.
"I screamed 'somebody help me, please help me save my son,'" he said.
Hinnant told the affiliate he looked up and saw his neighbor, Darius Sessoms, in the yard next door with a gun in hand, pacing and frantic.

"I was looking at him as I was picking up Cannon, and I was so full of rage, but I could not leave my son's side," he said. "I just wanted to be with my son."
Hinnant's fiancé called 911, he said, and Sessoms drove away."

Best bet-25 year old was screwing around and had pointed the gun and then accidentally fired it...

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/13/us/north-carolina-boy-killed/index.html

[Nexus2]

5. This took place in the suburbs, didn't it?

[flotsam]

7. Wilson NC

a small city of 45K 40 miles east of Raleigh...ran out and saw perp in the yard next door...so it sounds suburban but I'm guessing.

[Nexus2]

8. Thank you

I suspect some of the drive to get the story out is because it'll be spun to support Trump's narrative about the dangers of my kind 'invading' the suburbs.

[uponit7771]

14. +1,

[Chili]

10. I saw a news report of this yesterday...

...one of the family members said they don't understand what happened, because they were on good terms with the neighbor - there was no negativity going on. So yeah - I'll bet it was a terrible accident, at least that's what the "pacing and frantic" would explain.

And yes - the outcry about this story being "ignored" is political, and the tweets I saw expressed very little sympathy.

And I just watched the CNN report above - hadn't seen the Dad before, so young - heartbreaking. They were friends - it had to be a stupid accident, he shouldn't have had the gun in his hand... that sweet little boy.

[Celerity]

13. Father of 5-year-old killed says he had dinner with suspect night before son's death

https://abc7.com/cannon-hinnant-austin-sessoms-child-killed/6370885/

[uponit7771]

15. Sounds like a horrible accident

[Chili]

18. ... and they drank a beer together...

Awful, horrifically sad story - he must've been playing with the gun with him, maybe even showing it off for him, and it went off. Doesn't sound possible that it was intentional - not at all excusing this tragic stupidity, but it just sounds like an accident. And he lived with his parents. Good Lord, how tragic for both families. Imagine living next door, knowing that your son killed their little boy and that their hearts will be broken forever.

[Nexus2]

6. Death penelty?

I though the shooting was accidental?

[JI7]

9. Shows how civilians with guns just means more innocent people dead

[Music Man]

11. Yeah, this has driven me nuts. Bringing this up reveals their racism more than they think.

It is an exceptionally sad story. Absolutely tragic and heartbreaking.

But this guy was arrested right away, and it's not like there's an epidemic of this happening over the course of centuries. And it's not state sponsored, unlike in the cases where people who are sworn to protect us commit murder. The attempts to draw parallels is rooted in such defensiveness.

Blessings to Cannon's family. What a terrible nightmare for them.

[JHB]

12. This is another case of what's come across my Facebook feed and email forwards...

The formula goes like this:

Some terrible crime is perpetrated by a black person against a white person, and the outraged person creating/forwarding/sharing the message is beside themselves with anger, sputtering "Where's Al Sharpton?! Where's Jesse Jackson?! Where are the marches?!"

Meanwhile, if one bothers to actually read about the case, one finds that the police did their job pretty quickly and efficiently, with no apparent potential misconduct.

Thus highlighting that Mr. or Ms. OUTRAGE! doesn't or refuses to understand what the protests were about.

But they take great offense if you imply what the source of that disconnect might be.

[Initech]

16. Oh this story is definitely a racist dog whistle.

The guy committed murder, got caught, got punished appropriately. The only difference? This guy was not a police officer!!!

[CatWoman]

17. ....

[markpkessinger]

19. +1