Full Breakdown
Fatal Shooting of 1-Year-Old Kohen Wiley at Senatobia Walmart Sparks Protests and Calls for Transparency
6/20/2026, 6:43:31 AM
Fatal Shooting at Walmart
On June 14, 2026, Senatobia police and Tate County deputies responded to a shop-lifting call at the Walmart on U.S. 51. When two adults and a 1-year-old child, Kohen Wiley, entered a vehicle that moved toward the officers, an officer fired into the car. Kohen died at a local hospital; the adult passenger suffered critical injuries. No officers were injured.
Recent Police History
Recent incidents include a 2023 officer dismissal for arresting a 10-year-old Black boy and a 2025 handcuffing over a handicapped-parking dispute, fueling community tension.
Timeline of Key Events
June 14 – Officer fires; Kohen dies. June 15 – Officer placed on leave. June 16 – Mayor confirms leave; police use tear-gas. June 17 – Family releases video; Ben Crump represents. June 18 – Memorial set up. June 19 – Mayor issues condolence.
Key Individuals
Kohen Wiley (victim); Vellesiya Wiley (mother); Ben Crump (family attorney); Greg Graves (mayor); Marquell Bridges (activist); Sean Tindell (public-safety commissioner); MBI (state investigators).
Incident Data
Shots fired: 3–4 (mother’s account). Fatalities: 1 (Kohen). Critical injuries: 1 adult. Police injuries: none. Senatobia population: ~8,400.
Community Impact
The death has heightened calls for police reform, release of body-camera and Walmart footage, and broader scrutiny of law-enforcement in a majority-Black town with a history of disputed encounters.
Official Statements
Mayor Graves described the incident as deeply painful and devastating and urged community dignity. Police pledged full transparency. Commissioner Tindell announced a five-agent probe and said video will be released after the investigation. Walmart expressed sadness over the loss.
Criticism
Civil-rights leaders called the shooting a moral collapse and said police appeared to value merchandise over a child's life.
Eyewitness Account
Vellesiya Wiley said she raised her baby to signal its presence before officers fired, disputing that the driver approached police.
Conflicting Reports
Police claim the vehicle drove toward officers; the mother says it was moving away. Officer identified as Hunter Foster in one report, unnamed elsewhere.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I recognize this is a deeply painful and devastating situation for our community, Graves said.” — Greg Graves, mayor of Senatobia
- “We are treating items on a shelf as more valuable than a child,” — Bernice King, civil-rights advocate
- “A 1-year-old child is dead because police officers in Mississippi opened fire on a car in a crowded Walmart parking lot,” — Ben Crump, civil-rights attorney
- “Policeman shot, opened fire in a public setting, over allegedly some Pampers. Whatever the incident may have come to, it still didn’t need for you to shoot two adults and a baby that was not even a threat to you,” — Licole Wiley, grandmother
What’s Next
MBI will complete its investigation, then release body-camera and Walmart surveillance footage. Findings will be forwarded to the Mississippi Attorney General for possible grand-jury review. Community groups plan continued demonstrations and policy-change advocacy.
