Shoplifting Call Turns Deadly as 1-Year-Old Is Killed in Walmart Police Shooting
A 1-year-old boy was killed and another person was injured after a Mississippi police officer fired into a vehicle during a response to a shoplifting call at a Walmart in Senatobia, about 40 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee.
The shooting has prompted a state investigation and renewed scrutiny of police use-of-force decisions during fast-moving encounters.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI) said officers were dispatched Sunday afternoon after reports of shoplifting at the store.
According to state officials, officers encountered two women and a child leaving Walmart and entering a vehicle in the parking lot.
Investigators said the driver did not comply with attempts to stop the car and instead drove in the direction of officers, prompting at least one officer to fire into the vehicle.
The child, identified as Kohen Wiley, was inside the vehicle with his mother and a family friend at the time of the shooting, according to law enforcement statements and civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the family.
Officials said the vehicle fled the scene and traveled to a nearby hospital, where the child was later pronounced dead.
The adult passenger was also critically injured. No law enforcement officers were seriously injured, NBC News reported.
State officials say the vehicle moved toward officers during the attempted stop, while the family disputes that description and says officers opened fire while the child was still visible inside the car.
Kohen’s mother, Vellesiya Wiley, said she was holding her son and tried to alert officers that a baby was in the vehicle before shots were fired, raising the child to make him visible moments before the shooting, WREG reported.
Accounts from bystanders and legal advocates add further differences in how the scene is described, including whether the vehicle was actively fleeing or still near officers when gunfire began.
Attorneys representing the family have also challenged suggestions that the occupants were involved in a theft, noting that the mother has not been charged with any crime.
The MBI has taken over the case, as is standard for officer-involved shootings in the state.
Officials said body camera footage, surveillance video, and forensic evidence will be reviewed before any determination is made about potential criminal charges.
Authorities have not released video, citing the need to protect witness statements and the integrity of the investigation.
The officer involved has been placed on administrative leave, according to local officials.
The Senatobia Police Department and Tate County Sheriff’s Office said they are cooperating with the state investigation but have not released additional details while the case remains active.
Officials confirmed multiple agencies were involved in the initial response to the shoplifting call, according to the Clarion Ledger.
People gathered outside the Walmart following the shooting, calling for transparency and the release of body camera footage.
Some demonstrators later dispersed after law enforcement used tear gas, according to local reporting. Community leaders and clergy members urged restraint while the investigation continues.
Walmart said it is cooperating with investigators and expressed condolences over the child’s death.
State and local officials have urged the public to avoid speculation while evidence is still being reviewed and witness accounts are being verified.
Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell said the investigation will take time and that all evidence must be reviewed before any decisions are made regarding possible charges.
The case remains under active investigation and will be forwarded to the state attorney general’s office once the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation completes its review.
Officials said that process will determine whether the case proceeds to a grand jury or other legal action.
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