Mississippi family demands answers after police shoot and kill 1‑year‑old during Walmart alleged shoplifting call

SENATOBIA, Miss. — A Mississippi family is demanding answers after 1‑year‑old Kohen Kartier Wiley was shot and killed when a police officer opened fire on a vehicle during a shoplifting call at a Walmart on June 14. The shooting also critically wounded an adult passenger and has sparked protests across Senatobia.

Police Fired Into Silver Sedan, Killing Kohen Kartier Wiley and Injuring Adult

The shooting involved officers from the Senatobia Police Department and the Tate County Sheriff’s Department, who responded to a reported shoplifting incident at the Walmart on U.S. 51. Wiley was inside a silver sedan with his mother and a family friend when an officer fired into the vehicle in the parking lot, killing the toddler and critically injuring the adult passenger.

The driver then rushed Wiley to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The officer who fired the weapon has not been identified.

Family Denies Shoplifting

Members of Wiley’s family have denied that any shoplifting took place.

A witness told WREG that she saw two women exit the store before the shooting. One carrying a single box of diapers, and the other carrying the infant child.

Family members told the station that Wiley’s mother was sitting in the passenger seat holding the baby when the officer opened fire. They said the woman driving the car was the one critically injured.

Another witness told WREG she saw the car driving away with officers chasing on foot moments before hearing gunshots.

At this time, no arrests have been announced.

Attorney Says Mother Tried to Warn Officers About Baby

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the family, said Wiley’s mother repeatedly tried to tell officers that her baby was in the vehicle before shots were fired.

“Kohen Wiley was a baby,” Crump said. “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. They fired anyway, leading to the death of an innocent 1‑year‑old.”

Crump said the family intends to seek justice for Wiley’s death.

State Officials Say Vehicle Drove Toward Officers

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety said in a June 14 statement that officers encountered “two subjects and a juvenile child fleeing from the store into a vehicle.”

The agency said officers attempted to stop the car, but the driver “drove in the direction of the officers, almost striking one,” prompting an officer to fire.

However, the DPS statement also appears to acknowledge that officers saw the child before the adults entered the vehicle and before the officer discharged the weapon.

Video Shows Car Driving Away, Not Toward Officers

A cellphone video obtained by Fox 13 Memphis shows the silver sedan driving away from officers, though the shooting itself is not visible.

A photo of the vehicle shows multiple bullet holes in the windshield, including one on the passenger side where Wiley was seated.

The conflicting accounts have intensified scrutiny of the police narrative.

Protests Erupt; Kohen Kartier Wiley’s Family Says Police “Get Away With Too Much”

The shooting has triggered protests outside the Senatobia Walmart and City Hall, where demonstrators demanded the release of body‑camera footage and accountability for the officer involved. Police deployed tear gas during at least one protest, according to local reports.

Wiley’s great‑grandmother, Carolyn Stokes, told WREG that the community has long complained about police conduct.

“Senatobia Police Department get away with too much stuff,” she said. “I hear about it all the time. It’s in the news all the time. Y’all probably down here all the time recording this stuff, but it’s just too much.”

Body‑Cam Footage Withheld Pending Investigation

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is leading the inquiry and will present its findings to the state attorney general’s office for possible charges. Officials have not provided a timeline.

Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell said body‑camera footage and other evidence will not be released until the investigation is complete.

The city of Senatobia said it is cooperating fully with the independent investigation.