Toddler Killed by Police Gunfire at Mississippi Walmart Sparks Outcry
A police officer fired at a vehicle in a Walmart parking lot in Senatobia, Mississippi, striking 1-year-old Kohen Wiley, who later died, prompting protests and a state investigation.
On a Sunday afternoon in Senatobia, Mississippi, police responded to a shoplifting report at a Walmart and chased a gray Ford Fusion carrying a mother and her 1-year-old son, Kohen Wiley. An officer fired his gun as the vehicle approached, striking the child on his right side; the bullet passed through his body and exited the left side. Kohen was rushed to a hospital but died at 19 months old.
The killing prompted protests, a memorial display of stuffed animals at the store, and calls for transparency, while city officials offered only a scripted video statement that omitted the child's name. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation announced an ongoing investigation, with the state Department of Public Safety Commissioner noting it may take months. Community members pointed to a pattern of police aggression in Senatobia, including prior incidents involving force against Black residents and the hiring of officers with previous misconduct complaints.
Why it matters
The death highlights concerns about police use of force and accountability in a community with a history of racial tension.
In this story