1-Year-Old Kohen Wiley Shot In Aftermath Of Stolen Diapers Accusation: What To Know About Case

A Mississippi community is outraged after police killed a 1-year-old child while responding to a shoplifting call. The shooting happened Sunday afternoon in a Walmart parking lot in Senatobia, Mississippi, NBC News reported.
What happened at a Walmart in Senatobia, Mississippi?
When police responded to the shoplifting call at Walmart, 1-year-old Kohen Wiley was at the store with his mother and a family friend.
According to Kohen’s mother, Vellesiya Wiley, the family friend had been accused of shoplifting diapers, though Wiley claims Walmart self-checkout footage shows the diapers were paid for.
Wiley told ABC24 that she, Kohen and her friend were leaving the store when law enforcement attempted to stop her friend. Wiley said she initially continued walking with her son because the situation “had nothing to do” with her. She said the three later got into a vehicle and attempted to leave.
According to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, officers “encountered two subjects and a juvenile child fleeing from the store into a vehicle.” The agency said officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver “drove in the direction of the officers, almost striking one” of them.
Wiley, however, disputed that account. She told ABC24 that her friend backed into another vehicle while trying to leave and then drove away in the opposite direction of the officers. Wiley also said she lifted Kohen up to show officers that a child was inside the vehicle as officers approached with their guns drawn.
Despite that, Wiley said officers fired several shots into the vehicle. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said one officer fired shots after the vehicle drove toward officers.
Kohen was struck and later pronounced dead at a hospital. Wiley told ABC24 that her son was shot in the rib cage. Her friend was also seriously injured in the shooting, suffering gunshot wounds to the arm and thigh, according to Wiley. Wiley herself was not injured.
What is the community’s reaction to the fatal shooting at the Senatobia Walmart?
The family’s supporters called for justice as they came together at Senatobia City Hall on Tuesday afternoon. According to Action News 5, officers also tear-gassed protesters who gathered at the Walmart where the shooting happened.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the family, said Kohen’s mother did not commit a crime despite the accusations.
“Kohen Wiley was a baby. His mother, who has not been charged with any crime, says she was trying to communicate to officers that there was a baby in the car,” Crump said, per The Guardian. “They fired anyway, leading to the death of an innocent one-year-old. We intend to seek justice for baby Kohen and the life that was stolen from him.”
Attorney Van Turner also called for the release of body camera footage and Walmart surveillance footage.
“We want to see the body cam footage from the officers,” Turner told ABC24. “We also want to see the footage from Walmart, and the family is just wondering why the officer discharged his service weapon, knowing that there was a child in the car.”
The unnamed officer who fired the shots is now on administrative leave, the Mississippi Free Press reported.
“As the investigation progresses and facts are verified, we will share as much information as possible,” Senatobia’s Police Department wrote in a Facebook post.