Mississippi toddler killed after police fire at vehicle during Walmart incident

A 1-year-old boy died Sunday afternoon after Senatolia police officers fired at a vehicle in a Walmart parking lot, according to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI). The incident occurred as officers responded to a shoplifting call and encountered two adults and a child fleeing the store in a car.

The MBI said officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver allegedly drove toward the officers, nearly striking one, prompting an officer to discharge his weapon. The child, identified as Kohen Wiley, was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, while a family friend in the vehicle sustained critical injuries.

Civil-rights attorney Ben Crump, representing the family, said the child's mother was trying to inform officers that a baby was in the car and that she had not been charged with any crime. > "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. They fired anyway, leading to the death of an innocent 1-year-year-old. We intend to seek justice for baby Kohen and the life that was stolen from him," Crump said in a statement.

The Senatolia Police Department, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment, posted on Facebook that it is "committed to full transparency" and will share verified information as the investigation proceeds. The Tate County Sheriff’s Office, also on scene, issued a statement asking the public to keep the family in their thoughts.

Community advocate Marquell Bridges, assisting the family, disputed claims that the mother was involved in the alleged theft and called for the release of body-camera and store-surveillance footage. The child's grandfather, Carlos Haynes, expressed grief, describing his grandson as a "happy baby" whose life was cut short.

The MBI will forward its findings to the state Attorney General’s Office after completing its investigation. The city of Senatolia said it will cooperate fully and urged residents to avoid speculation while the inquiry continues.