Kohen Wiley, 1, died after police responded to a reported shoplifting call in Senatobia.
SENATOBIA, Miss. — A Senatobia police officer was placed on administrative leave after a Sunday shooting outside a Walmart killed 1-year-old Kohen Wiley and seriously injured another person in a vehicle, state and local officials said.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is reviewing the shooting, which followed a report of alleged shoplifting at the store. The case has drawn protests, calls for body camera footage and questions from the child’s family about why officers fired into a car in a busy parking lot.
Authorities said Senatobia police officers and Tate County sheriff’s deputies responded Sunday to the Walmart, where they encountered two adults and the child leaving the store and entering a vehicle. State officials said the driver moved toward officers and nearly hit one of them before an officer opened fire. Witnesses and family representatives have questioned that account. The vehicle later arrived at a nearby hospital, where Kohen was pronounced dead. Another person in the car was listed in critical condition. Kohen’s mother was not physically injured and has not been charged with a crime, civil rights attorney Ben Crump said.
Crump, who is representing the family, said Kohen’s mother tried to tell officers that a baby was inside the car before shots were fired. “Kohen Wiley was a baby,” Crump said. The family has asked authorities to release police body camera footage and Walmart surveillance video. State Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell said an independent investigation is underway and that video will be released after the review is complete. Walmart said it is cooperating with law enforcement.
The shooting brought demonstrators to Senatobia City Hall and the Walmart on Tuesday. Law enforcement officers wearing gas masks formed a line outside the store and used a chemical irritant to disperse people gathered there. Family members and residents returned Wednesday to mourn Kohen and demand accountability. Kohen’s father told Mississippi Today that his son’s smile, eyes and personality stood out. “Can’t get him back,” he said.
No officer involved in the shooting has been publicly identified. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said no officers suffered serious injuries. The Senatobia Police Department said it is committed to transparency and will share more information as facts are verified. The investigation is expected to be turned over to state prosecutors after agents finish gathering statements, records and video.
The case remained under review Thursday, June 18, with the officer on leave and Kohen’s family pressing for the release of video evidence.
Author note: Last updated June 18, 2026.