Summary
A one-year-old boy, Kohen Wiley, was killed and another person was injured after a Senatobia, Mississippi, police officer fired at a vehicle on Sunday, June 14, 2026, following a shoplifting call at a Walmart store. The child died from his injuries on June 27. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI) is investigating the incident.
Incident Details
- On June 14, 2026, Senatobia police officers responded to a report of shoplifting at a local Walmart.
- Officers encountered two adults and a child leaving the store and entering a vehicle.
- According to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI), officers attempted to stop the vehicle. The driver reportedly drove in the direction of an officer, nearly striking them.
- An officer discharged their weapon, firing at the vehicle. The vehicle then fled the scene.
- The vehicle drove to a hospital, where the child, Kohen Wiley, was pronounced dead. The driver, an adult female friend of the child's mother, sustained serious injuries from the gunfire. The child's mother, Vellesiya Wiley, was in the vehicle but was not injured.
Conflicting Accounts
"The driver drove toward an officer, prompting the use of force."
— MBI and Senatobia Police Department
"The driver was not attempting to hit anyone but was trying to drive away."
— Vellesiya Wiley, mother of the deceased child
- The MBI and Senatobia Police Department report that the driver drove toward an officer, prompting the use of force.
- Vellesiya Wiley, the mother of the deceased child, has disputed this account. She stated that the driver was not attempting to hit anyone but was trying to drive away.
- Ms. Wiley also stated that the driver had paid for the diapers she was carrying, disputing the shoplifting allegation.
Investigation and Aftermath
- The officer involved has been placed on administrative leave.
- The MBI is conducting the investigation and has stated it will release video footage upon completion of the review. Findings will be turned over to the Attorney General’s Office.
- A funeral service for Kohen Wiley was held at Hosanna Family Worship Center.
Statements from Involved Parties
- The Senatobia Police Department has stated it is committed to full transparency and will release more information as the investigation progresses.
- Walmart expressed sadness over the incident and stated it is cooperating with law enforcement.
- The child's grandfather, Carlos Haynes, and grandmother, Veronica Roberson, have publicly expressed grief.
- Attorneys Ben Crump and Van Turner are representing the family. Mr. Turner stated, "There is nothing in that Walmart store that is more precious than a baby."
- Community advocate Marquell Bridges is assisting the family and claimed the mother was not involved in the alleged crime.
Expert Opinion
"Shooting into a moving vehicle is widely discouraged in modern policing due to the risks it poses to all occupants."
— Ian Adams, criminal justice professor, University of South Carolina
Local Context
- Activists and civil rights attorneys, including Carlos Moore and Marquell Bridges, have cited prior incidents involving police and Black residents in Senatobia.
- A 2023 incident where an officer used a Taser on a woman during a parking space dispute.
- A 2023 incident where an officer was fired after arresting a 10-year-old Black boy for urinating in a parking lot. The boy's family later settled a federal lawsuit with the city.
- According to advocates, the city of Senatobia is approximately 40% Black, while the mayor and most aldermen are white.