Mississippi
Mississippi 1-year-old killed after police shoot at car during alleged shoplifting call
A Mississippi family is demanding answers after a 1-year-old was killed when police responding to a shoplifting call at a Walmart fired at their vehicle.
The shooting occurred Sunday afternoon in a parking lot in Senatobia, about 40 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee. Marquell Bridges, a community advocate who is helping the family find an attorney, told The Associated Press that 1-year-old Kohen Wiley was killed and a friend of the boy’s mother was seriously injured.
The mother was not injured, Bridges said.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating the shooting, said in a statement that when Senatobia police officers arrived, they “encountered two subjects and a juvenile child fleeing from the store into a vehicle.”
The state agency said police tried to stop the vehicle, “but the driver drove in the direction of the officers, almost striking one.” An officer then discharged their weapon, firing at the vehicle, according to the MBI.
The driver then drove to a nearby hospital, where the child was pronounced dead, the bureau said.
No law enforcement officers were seriously injured, the state agency said in its statement.
The Senatobia Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. In a Facebook post on Sunday, the department said it was “committed to full transparency.”
“As the investigation progresses and facts are verified, we will share as much information as possible,” the department said.
The Tate County Sheriff’s Office was also on scene for the shooting. The office said in a news release that deputies had been responding to an unrelated incident when their assistance was requested.
“Please keep the family of the deceased in your thoughts and prayers,” the sheriff’s office said.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Bridges said the boy’s mother did not steal from Walmart “and was not a witness to or accomplice to any crime.”
“She was skipping and playing with her child kohen to the car moments earlier not fleeing a theft,” he said. “What started as an ordinary day, playing with your baby and getting into a car, turned into the worst day of a mother’s life and a tragedy this community will carry for years to come.”
He called on the police department to release body camera footage and store surveillance video.
Carlos Haynes, the child’s grandfather, told the AP that Kohen was a happy baby who had his life cut short.
“Someone ended it all before it could even start,” Haynes said.
The child’s family did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment on Tuesday.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said that it will turn its findings over to the Attorney General’s Office once the investigation is complete.
In a statement Tuesday, the city of Senatobia said it was committed to cooperating fully with the MBI’s independent investigation.
“We understand that emotions are high and that many questions remain. We respectfully ask our community to avoid speculation and the spread of unverified information while the investigation is underway,” the statement said.
It acknowledged the child’s death as a “a heartbreaking tragedy,” and extended condolences to the family. The city also asked for thoughts and prayers for law enforcement officers, first responders and anyone affected by this situation.
“We ask our community to continue responding with compassion, respect, and grace as we support all those affected during this difficult time,” the statement said.
A 1-year-old boy was fatally shot by a Mississippi cop who fired at a car the tot’s mother and aunt were fleeing in through a Walmart parking lot after allegedly stealing diapers.
Kohen Wiley, 1, was killed and another woman in their car was critically injured when a cop opened fire at their vehicle in a Walmart parking lot in Senatobia, Mississippi.
Kohen’s family told WREG that his mother was holding him in the front passenger seat while his aunt drove. It’s not clear if Kohen’s mother or aunt was the woman critically injured.
Officers from the Senatobia Police Department and the Tate County Sheriff’s Department were responding to a reported shoplifting at the Walmart when they spotted the suspects’ car driving away, according to a statement from the Mississippi Department of Public Safety obtained by Mississippi Today.
The DPS claimed that the driver sped in the officers’ direction and almost hit one cop while they were trying to stop the car. It was at that moment that an officer fired at the car, according to the statement.
Video footage obtained by WREG showed at least one bullet hole in the front windshield of the car. The passenger-side window was also severely damaged.
The family drove themselves to a nearby hospital, where little Kohen died.
The tot’s surviving family is demanding answers for how a shoplifting response could turn so violent. They also disputed speculations that Kohen’s mother and aunt were stealing diapers from the megastore.
“We don’t really know anything, why it happened or whatever. All we know is that car was shot up and a one-year-old baby was killed,” Carolyn Stokes, Kohen’s great-grandmother, told WREG.
“I’m just at a loss for words, to be honest. Somebody needs to held accountable for it,” Carlos Haynes, Kohen’s grandfather, added.
A woman who witnessed the shooting told the outlet that she heard gunshots echo across the parking lot as cops chased the car, but assumed officers hadn’t opened fire in broad daylight, since “this is Walmart.”
A separate witness told the outlet that he saw law enforcement waiting in the parking lot before Kohen’s mother and aunt exited the store, one holding a box of diapers while the other cradled the toddler.
The Senatobia Police Department turns its investigation over to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.
Tate County Sheriff Luke Shepherd told Mississippi Today that the department is also doing an independent investigation to determine if any of the deputies involved in the shooting will be placed on leave.
Eight Mississippi public schools are being recognized for their support of military families and children of those who serve in the U.S. armed forces.
The Mississippi Department of Education acknowledged the following educational facilities as new Military Star Schools for 2026-28:
- Hattiesburg High School
- Callaway High School
- Jim Hill High School
- Baxterville School
- Lumberton Elementary
- Sumrall High School
- New Hope Lower Elementary
- Ocean Springs High School
According to the department, Military Star Schools must meet specific requirements that address the unique needs of military students and families. These include appointing a dedicated school liaison for military families, providing student-led transition services and peer support, ensuring professional development for staff to respond to the needs of military students and families, and publicly recognizing service members and their families.
Gov. Tate Reeves established the Military Star School program in February 2022, making Mississippi one of 31 states at that time with a formal program to recognize schools that support military families. In 2025, 18 schools earned the designation for 2025-27.
The Military Star School program is designed to help schools respond to the educational and social-emotional challenges military-connected children face during their transition to a new school and keep them on track to be college, workforce and life-ready. “Military-connected” refers to children of service members on active duty and in the National Guard and Reserves.
The Military Star School designation remains in effect for two years. Schools can reapply to maintain the designation. New schools can apply to receive the designation between Dec. 1, 2026, and Feb. 15, 2027. There are now 103 Military Star Schools in Mississippi. The full list can be found here.
East Nashville defensive back Ke’Vontae Pitts committed to Mississippi State football after his official visit on June 14, he announced on X.
Pitts, a 6-foot, 175-pound junior, picked the Bulldogs over offers that included Memphis, Arkansas State, East Carolina, Charlotte and Austin Peay.
It was a swift recruitment from Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby’s staff, which had just offered Pitts on June 9.
Pitts does not have a ranking with 247Sports but has 12 offers from FBS and FCS programs.
Pitts intercepted four passes in 2025 while helping East Nashville reach the TSSAA football Class 2A state quarterfinals. He also had 60 tackles and three punt returns for touchdowns.
He was scheduled to take an official visit to Memphis on June 19.
Tyler Palmateer covers high school sports for The Tennessean. Have a story idea for Tyler? Reach him at tpalmateer@tennessean.com and on the X platform, @tpalmateer83.
He also contributes to The Tennessean’s high school sports newsletter, The Bootleg. Subscribe to The Bootleg here.
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