Vellesiya Wiley and Family Demand Accountability After Toddler Kohen Wiley’s Fatal Shooting in Senatobia

SENATOBIA, Mississippi — Vellesiya Wiley and her family are seeking accountability following the fatal shooting of her one-year-old son, Kohen Wiley, by a police officer responding to a reported shoplifting incident at a Walmart parking lot in Senatobia, Mississippi. Newly released body camera footage has intensified public scrutiny of the incident and the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.

According to reports, the shooting occurred on June 14 while Kohen was sitting on his mother’s lap inside a moving vehicle. Officers had responded after receiving a report that suspected shoplifters were leaving the store. Five law enforcement officers approached the vehicle with their firearms drawn as the situation escalated.

The released body camera footage shows the vehicle reversing into a parked car before moving forward. An officer can be heard shouting commands before firing as the vehicle passes nearby. Four gunshots are audible in the footage, and the passenger-side window appears to shatter. The vehicle subsequently continues moving through the parking lot.

The incident has prompted sharply differing accounts of whether the officer’s actions were justified. Mississippi’s attorney general determined that the officer was justified in using force, according to the supplied report. The officer’s attorney, Martin Zummach, argued that the driver was attempting to kill the officers and maintained that his client had no choice but to fire.

However, Kohen’s family disputes that conclusion. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents the family, described the police response as excessive and argued that a shoplifting allegation did not justify the death of a child.

Vellesiya Wiley has denied that she and the other woman in the vehicle stole diapers from Walmart. According to the report, neither woman had been charged in connection with the alleged shoplifting.

Senatobia Mayor Greg Graves confirmed to CBS, the BBC’s U.S. news partner, that officer Hunter Foster had resigned. The police department had not immediately responded to the BBC’s request for confirmation.

Kohen’s death has sparked protests and vigils in Mississippi, with relatives publicly demanding accountability. His grandmother, LaSandra Williams, questioned how authorities could consider the shooting justified after reviewing the footage.

As the family continues to grieve, the case remains a source of public debate over police use of force, accountability, and the protection of children during law enforcement encounters.

Disclaimer: This article is based on the information provided in the supplied report. Claims about the incident are attributed to the relevant parties, and the family’s objections to the official determination are included. Further developments should be confirmed through official records and reliable reporting.