After a police shooting in Senatobia, Mississippi, residents rioted outside a local Walmart, forcing police to deploy tear gas to disperse the crowd.
The shooting occurred on June 14 when officers from the Senatobia Police Department and Tate County Sheriff’s Office responded to… pic.twitter.com/odVQHVLqCI
— Kim “Katie” USA (@KimKatieUSA) June 17, 2026
Heartbreaking and straight-up infuriating. A tiny 1-year-old baby, Kohen Wiley, was fatally shot in a Walmart parking lot on U.S. Highway 51 in a small town of Senatobia, Missippi, this past Sunday—all tied to a shoplifting call over baby diapers.
Once police arrived – bullets started flying—leaving a toddler dead and his family demanding answers.
The toddler’s death has caused outrage and “Justice for Kohen” protests that police later broke up with tear gas.
According to MBI and local authorities, officers spotted two adults and the little one getting into a car after the reported shoplifting. When they tried to stop the vehicle, the driver allegedly sped toward officers, nearly hitting one.
Shots then rang out.
The car took off, rushed to a hospital, and baby Kohen didn’t make it.
Another adult inside is fighting for their life in critical condition.
No police were hurt.
The Senatobia PD confirmed Tuesday night the officer who fired is now on administrative leave while the MBI investigate. Full findings will be turned over to the Attorney General’s Office.
Mom’s Devastating Account: “I Lifted My Baby Up So They Could See Him”
Kohen’s mother, Vellesiya Wiley, is speaking out through the pain. She says they had a receipt for the diapers. As things escalated, she desperately tried to show officers her baby was inside the car.
One shot allegedly ripped into Kohen’s rib cage.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump and local counsel jumped in quick to represent the family.
Crump released a statement:
“A 1-year-old baby is dead because Mississippi police opened fire on a car full of people in a packed Walmart lot. His mother wasn’t charged with anything—she was trying to tell them a baby was inside. They fired anyway. We’re fighting for justice for baby Kohen.”
Hundreds March, Tear Gas Flies as Community Demands Body Cam Footage
By Tuesday, hundreds flooded Senatobia—rallying at City Hall during the Board of Aldermen meeting, then marching straight to the Walmart lot where the fatal shooting happened.
Signs read “Justice for Kohen Wiley.” Things got heated fast—cops deployed tear gas to clear the crowd outside the store as night fell.
Mississippi DPS Commissioner Sean Tindell called it standard procedure to put the officer on leave but said more details depend on how the investigation unfolds.
Walmart said they’re “heartbroken” and cooperating fully.
