SENATOBIA, Mississippi** — The fatal shooting of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley has renewed public scrutiny after newly released body-camera and surveillance footage showed the moments leading up to the child’s death outside a Walmart in Senatobia. The Mississippi attorney general has concluded that the officer’s use of force was justified, a decision that the child’s family and its attorney have challenged.
The shooting occurred on June 14, 2026, when Senatobia police officers and Tate County deputies responded to a reported shoplifting incident at a Walmart store in northern Mississippi.
Kohen was inside a vehicle with his mother, Vellesiya Wiley, and a friend of the family. Authorities said officers attempted to stop the vehicle as it began to leave the parking lot. According to the initial account from investigators, the vehicle moved toward officers, nearly striking one of them, prompting an officer to open fire.
Kohen was struck and later pronounced dead at a hospital. The adult friend who was driving the vehicle was also seriously injured, while the child’s mother was reported physically unharmed.
## Newly Released Video Shows Moments Before the Shooting
Body-camera and store surveillance footage released publicly this week reportedly shows several officers rushing from the Walmart and surrounding the vehicle as the driver attempted to leave.
The officers can be heard repeatedly ordering the driver to stop. The vehicle then moves forward, appearing to approach one of the officers, before gunfire erupts.
The footage provides additional visual information about the encounter, although the interpretation of the events remains disputed. CBS News reported that it verified footage published by Darkhorse Press but had not independently obtained the video.
## Mississippi Attorney General Rules Officer’s Use of Force Justified
On October 19, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced that her office had completed its review and determined that the officer’s use of force was justified. The office also concluded that there was insufficient evidence of criminal conduct to present the case to a grand jury, and no criminal charges would be filed against the officer.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation had conducted the investigation before submitting its findings to the attorney general’s office.
The decision represents the state’s conclusion regarding potential criminal liability. It has not, however, ended the family’s calls for answers and greater transparency.
## Family Disputes the Account and Continues Seeking Answers
Kohen’s family, represented by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, has questioned the circumstances surrounding the shooting and called for full disclosure of the evidence.
The family disputes the allegations that the adults in the vehicle were shoplifting. Neither Vellesiya Wiley nor her friend has been charged with shoplifting or another offense in connection with the incident, according to the Associated Press.
The family’s attorney has also cited a preliminary independent autopsy that reportedly indicated Kohen was shot from the side of the vehicle, raising questions about the official account that the vehicle was moving toward officers.
Kohen’s mother has said she was holding her son in the vehicle and tried to make officers aware that a child was present. Her account and the family’s concerns remain central to their demand for a fuller explanation of what happened.
## A Tragic Case That Has Drawn Public Attention
The death of a child so young has prompted grief and anger in Senatobia, along with broader debate about police responses to suspected shoplifting and the use of firearms around moving vehicles.
The case has also intensified existing concerns about trust between law enforcement and members of the local Black community.
For Kohen’s family, the attorney general’s decision does not erase the loss of a child whose life had barely begun. Their calls for transparency reflect a desire to understand precisely how the encounter unfolded and whether every aspect of the police response was appropriate.
## What Happens Next?
Although the attorney general’s office has announced that no criminal charges will be filed against the officer, the case continues to generate public debate. The release and examination of the footage may shape further discussion about the shooting and the family’s pursuit of answers.
The central facts remain that 1-year-old Kohen Wiley died after being shot during a police response outside a Senatobia Walmart, another occupant of the vehicle was seriously injured, and the state has ruled the officer’s use of force justified. The family disputes aspects of the official account and continues to seek transparency.
**This report is based on published news coverage and official findings available as of October 22, 2026.** The state’s decision and the family’s objections are presented separately because they reflect differing positions on the same fatal encounter.
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