SENATOBIA, Miss.— The mother of a 1-year-old boy who was fatally shot during a police encounter outside a Mississippi Walmart is speaking publicly for the first time, disputing law enforcement’s account of the incident and calling for justice for her son.
Vellesiya Wiley, the mother of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley, shared her version of events in a video statement released through the family’s legal team days after the fatal shooting that occurred on June 14 outside a Walmart in Senatobia, Mississippi.
According to authorities, Senatobia police officers responded to a reported shoplifting incident involving diapers at the store.
Investigators say officers attempted to stop a vehicle connected to the call when the situation escalated. Law enforcement officials have stated that the driver allegedly drove toward officers, prompting one officer to open fire.
The gunfire struck the vehicle, killing young Kohen and critically injuring another occupant, according to investigators. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation has launched an independent investigation into the shooting.
In her public statement, Wiley challenged the official account, claiming she attempted to alert officers that her infant son was inside the vehicle before shots were fired. She said she believes officers acted recklessly and that her child should never have been placed in harm’s way.
“My baby didn’t deserve this,” Wiley said in the emotional video, as she recounted the moments leading up to the shooting.
The family is being represented by prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who has called for full transparency and accountability in the case. Crump has urged authorities to release all available body-camera footage, dash-camera recordings, and surveillance video to provide a clearer picture of what occurred.
“The death of a 1-year-old child demands answers,” Crump said in a statement following the incident. “The public deserves to know exactly what happened.”
The officer involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, a standard procedure in many officer-involved shootings.
The case has sparked outrage throughout the community and across social media, with activists and residents gathering to demand justice for Kohen. Demonstrators have called for an independent review of the shooting and have questioned whether deadly force was justified under the circumstances.
As the investigation continues, authorities have not announced whether any charges will be filed against those involved. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is expected to submit its findings to prosecutors once its review is complete.
For Wiley and her family, however, the focus remains on mourning the loss of a child whose life was cut tragically short.
“We want answers,” supporters of the family have said during recent demonstrations. “A baby lost his life, and the community deserves to know why.”
The investigation remains ongoing.
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