June 22, 2026
Mother of 1-Year-Old Killed in Mississippi Police Shooting Speaks Out, Calls for Justice
The mother of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley is sharing her account of the moments that led to her son's death
The mother of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley is speaking publicly for the first time following the fatal police shooting that claimed her son’s life in a Walmart parking lot in Senatobia, Mississippi.
In a video released by civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Van Turner, Vellesiya Wiley recounted the events leading up to the June 14 shooting that left her son dead and her friend critically injured. According to Wiley, she and her friend were leaving Walmart when police approached them over a suspected shoplifting incident. Wiley said she initially continued walking because the situation did not involve her.
Wiley alleged that she and her son got into her friend’s vehicle, and when her friend began driving away, officers drew their weapons. Fearing for her son’s safety, she said she lifted Kohen in an attempt to make officers aware that a child was inside the vehicle.
“By the time I sat my baby back down, it was like three or four shots,” Wiley said in the video. She stated that one bullet struck Kohen in the ribcage, while additional rounds hit her friend in the arm and thigh.
She also disputed claims that her friend intentionally tried to hit one of the officers with her vehicle.
“They tried to say that she forcefully was trying to drive and hit them, but they were all on the right side, and she was driving to the left. They just personally shot into the car,” Wiley said.
The shooting has sparked outrage across Mississippi and beyond, with community members gathering outside the Senatobia Walmart this week to demand accountability. Demonstrators called for the release of body camera footage and additional evidence related to the incident. Protesters clashed with law enforcement Tuesday evening, when authorities deployed tear gas outside the store, reports Action News 5.
Meanwhile, attorneys representing the family have questioned why officers discharged their weapons after allegedly seeing a child inside the vehicle and are calling for the release of body camera footage and Walmart surveillance video.
The officer who fired the fatal shots has not been publicly identified. Senatobia officials confirmed that the officer has been placed on administrative leave. The Mississippi Department of Public Safety is leading the investigation.
As the investigation continues, Wiley says she is focused on seeking justice for her son and ensuring that his death does not go unanswered.
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