A one-year-old boy was killed and another person was injured after a police officer in northern Mississippi fired at a vehicle while responding to a shoplifting call, according to state investigators and people assisting the child’s family.
The child, identified by family members as Kohen Wiley, was inside the vehicle during the shooting Sunday in Senatobia, Mississippi, a city located about 40 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee.
According to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, officers were responding to a shoplifting report at a Walmart when the incident unfolded. State investigators said two women and the child had entered a vehicle after leaving the store. When police attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver allegedly drove toward officers and nearly hit one of them, according to the bureau.
An officer then fired at the vehicle, investigators said. The vehicle left the scene and later arrived at a hospital, where Kohen was pronounced dead.
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A second person in the vehicle, described by family advocates as a friend of the child’s mother, was seriously wounded. Kohen’s mother was not physically injured, according to Marquell Bridges, a local community advocate helping the family seek legal representation.
The shooting is now under investigation by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, which commonly reviews officer-involved shootings in the state. Officials have not yet released the name of the officer, the number of shots fired, or whether body-camera or dash-camera footage exists.
Senatobia police said in a Facebook post that the department would share more information as facts are verified. The department did not immediately provide additional details. The Tate County Sheriff’s Office, which was also reportedly present during the incident, declined to comment.
Walmart said it is cooperating with law enforcement and expressed sadness over what happened at its Senatobia store.
Kohen’s family is now mourning a child they described as happy and full of life. His grandfather, Carlos Haynes, said he had been looking forward to watching the boy grow up. “Someone ended it all before it could even start,” Haynes said.
The case has already raised major questions about police use of force during a response to an alleged shoplifting incident. Investigators will likely examine whether the officer believed there was an immediate threat, whether the vehicle posed a danger to officers or others, and whether firing into the car complied with department policy and state law.
Police shootings involving vehicles are often controversial because of the risk to passengers and bystanders. Many law enforcement agencies have policies restricting officers from shooting at moving vehicles unless there is an immediate threat of death or serious injury that cannot be addressed another way.
In this case, the presence of a one-year-old child in the vehicle makes the investigation especially sensitive. Authorities will need to determine what officers knew at the time, how the encounter escalated, and whether any commands or warnings were given before shots were fired.
Community advocates are also expected to press for transparency. Families in similar cases often call for the release of video footage, officer reports, dispatch records and the names of the officers involved.
For now, the official account remains limited, and the investigation is still developing. No final determination has been made about whether the officer’s actions were legally justified.
The death of Kohen Wiley has turned a reported shoplifting response into a deadly police shooting investigation, leaving a family seeking answers and a community waiting for more details.
Why It Matters
The case matters because it involves the death of a one-year-old child during a police response to an alleged shoplifting call. It raises serious questions about police tactics, use of force around vehicles, and how officers assess risk when passengers may be inside.
It also highlights the importance of transparency in officer-involved shootings. The public will likely want clear answers about what happened, what evidence exists, and whether department policy was followed.
What Comes Next
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation will continue reviewing the shooting and is expected to turn its findings over to prosecutors once the investigation is complete.
Authorities may review officer statements, witness accounts, surveillance footage, body-camera video, dispatch audio and vehicle evidence before deciding whether any further action is warranted.
A social media post shared details about the Senatobia shooting as the family and community seek answers following the child’s death.
A Walmart shoplifting call, allegedly involving stolen diapers, ended with a 1-year-old child being shot and killed by Senatobia, Mississippi police.#kohenwiley #senatobiamississippi #tatecountyms pic.twitter.com/nn6UOPTFc0
— Zackory Kirk (@zackoryk) June 15, 2026
