A Mississippi family is demanding transparency and accountability after a 1-year-old boy was killed when police officers responding to a reported shoplifting incident opened fire on a vehicle in a Walmart parking lot.
The tragic shooting occurred Sunday afternoon in Senatobia, Mississippi, a city located about 40 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee. The victim, identified as Kohen Wiley, was fatally wounded during the encounter, while a friend of the child’s mother suffered serious injuries. The boy’s mother was not physically harmed.
According to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI), officers from the Senatobia Police Department responded to a report of shoplifting at a Walmart store and encountered two adults and a child entering a vehicle.
Investigators said officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver allegedly moved in the direction of law enforcement officers and nearly struck one of them. An officer then discharged a firearm, striking the vehicle.
The vehicle subsequently traveled to a nearby hospital, where Kohen Wiley was pronounced dead. Authorities said no law enforcement officers sustained serious injuries during the incident.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation has launched an independent inquiry into the shooting and will submit its findings to the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office upon completion.
Community advocate Marquell Bridges, who is assisting the family in securing legal representation, disputed parts of the narrative surrounding the incident. In public statements, Bridges said the child’s mother was not involved in any theft and was neither a witness nor an accomplice to criminal activity.
He described the events as a devastating tragedy that transformed an ordinary outing into a life-altering loss for the family and community. Bridges has also called on authorities to release body camera footage and surveillance video from the Walmart store to provide greater clarity about what occurred.
The city of Senatobia acknowledged the death as a heartbreaking tragedy and pledged full cooperation with the state investigation. City officials urged residents to avoid speculation while investigators work to establish the facts.
“We understand that emotions are high and that many questions remain,” the city said in a statement, asking the public to allow the investigation to proceed without the spread of unverified information.
The Tate County Sheriff’s Office, which assisted at the scene after responding to an unrelated incident nearby, also expressed condolences to the family.
Kohen’s grandfather, Carlos Haynes, described the child as a happy baby whose future was tragically cut short.
The incident has sparked renewed debate about police use of force, transparency in law enforcement investigations, and the risks posed to bystanders and children during police encounters. As the investigation continues, the family and community await answers about the circumstances that led to the death of the young child.