{"id":6117,"date":"2026-06-19T12:36:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T12:36:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/boy-1-killed-in-us-police-shooting-after-mum-held-him-up-to-show-officers-there-was-a-baby-in-car\/"},"modified":"2026-06-19T12:36:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T12:36:14","slug":"boy-1-killed-in-us-police-shooting-after-mum-held-him-up-to-show-officers-there-was-a-baby-in-car","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/boy-1-killed-in-us-police-shooting-after-mum-held-him-up-to-show-officers-there-was-a-baby-in-car\/","title":{"rendered":"Boy, 1, killed in US police shooting after mum \u2018held him up to show officers there was a baby in car\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"article-body\">\n<h2 class=\"LeadText_lead-text__wd_PA __className_1cf165\" data-testid=\"leadtext\">Grieving mum Vellesiya Wiley said she had been trying to alert officers that there was a baby int he car when shots were fired, killing one-year-old Kohen and critically injuring her friend<\/h2>\n<div class=\"Byline_byline-container__K_Owl\" data-testid=\"byline\"><span class=\"Byline_byline-content-wrapper__Imque\" data-testid=\"byline-content\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"Byline_author-badge-date-wrapper__Q7jj1\">\n<p><span class=\"\" data-testid=\"byline-publishedDate\"><\/span><span class=\"ArticleTimestamp_updated-date__7qD4Q ArticleTimestamp_updated-date-with-published__iFKpF\" data-testid=\"byline-updatedDate\">Updated <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<p><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX ImageEmbed_image-lead__Ti3qQ\" data-testid=\"leadimage\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37320144\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Kohen Wiley in the arms of his mum Vellesiya\" loading=\"eager\" sizes=\"(max-width: 508px) 508px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37320144.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/2_Boy-1-killed-in-police-shooting-after-mum-held-him-up-to-show-officers-there-was-a-baby-in-car.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37320144.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s508\/2_Boy-1-killed-in-police-shooting-after-mum-held-him-up-to-show-officers-there-was-a-baby-in-car.jpg 508w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37320144.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615\/2_Boy-1-killed-in-police-shooting-after-mum-held-him-up-to-show-officers-there-was-a-baby-in-car.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37320144.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/2_Boy-1-killed-in-police-shooting-after-mum-held-him-up-to-show-officers-there-was-a-baby-in-car.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Kohen Wiley was fatally shot by a police officer respnding to reports of shoplifting\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Kohen Wiley was fatally shot by a police officer respnding to reports of shoplifting<cite aria-label=\"Image: Facebook\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Facebook)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">A <a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/lifestyle\/family\/\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">mother <\/a>spoke of her horror after her one-year-old son was shot dead when police responding to an alleged shoplifting call opened fire on a vehicle.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Vellesiya Wiley said she had been \u201ctrying to show\u201d officers that her son Kohen was inside the car moments before the police opened fire during the incident in <a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/united-states\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">Senatobia, Mississippi,<\/a> on Sunday afternoon. The mum said she had been shopping at Walmart with Kohen and a friend when officers from the Senatobia Police Department and Tate County Sheriff\u2019s Office approached them over allegations her friend had stolen nappies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">According to Vellesiya, her friend was backing up the car when officers approached with their guns drawn. She said: \u201cI raised my baby up, trying to show that he was in the car. So she [her friend] was backing up and she hit a car.\u201d<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-37320147\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37320147\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.47\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Kohen Wiley stood on the grass with a play lawnmower\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37320147.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Boy-1-killed-in-police-shooting-after-mum-held-him-up-to-show-officers-there-was-a-baby-in-car.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37320147.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/0_Boy-1-killed-in-police-shooting-after-mum-held-him-up-to-show-officers-there-was-a-baby-in-car.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37320147.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_Boy-1-killed-in-police-shooting-after-mum-held-him-up-to-show-officers-there-was-a-baby-in-car.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37320147.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Boy-1-killed-in-police-shooting-after-mum-held-him-up-to-show-officers-there-was-a-baby-in-car.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Kohen\u2019s grandfather, Carlos Haynes, described him as a happy baby who had his life cut short.\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Kohen\u2019s grandfather, Carlos Haynes, described him as a happy baby who had his life cut short.<cite aria-label=\"Image: Facebook\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Facebook)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cBy the time I set my baby down, it was like three to four shots. One of the shots hit him in his ribcage and the other shot hit her in her arm and her thigh,&#8221; she added. Baby <!-- -->Kohen was later pronounced dead at a local hospital with Vellesiya\u2019s friend was airlifted to another hospital and was left in a critical condition, according to family members.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Kohen\u2019s grandfather, Carlos Haynes, described him as a happy baby who had his life cut short. He told AP: <!-- -->\u201cSomeone ended it all before it could even start.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Vellesiya insisted neither she nor her friend had committed any crime and said security footage from the self-checkout area would show her friend paying for the nappies she had been accused of stealing. They have since not been charged with any wrongdoing<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">She also disputed claims that the vehicle had been driven towards officers, she said: \u201cThey was all on the right side, and she was driving towards the left.\u201d <!-- -->Community advocate Marquell Bridges, who is helping the family, said the child\u2019s mother \u201cwas not a witness to or accomplice to any crime.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He said: \u201cShe was skipping and playing with her child, Kohen, to the car moments earlier, not fleeing a theft. What started as an ordinary day, playing with your baby and getting into a car, turned into the worst day of a mother\u2019s life and a tragedy this community will carry for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-37320145\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37320145\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Kohen was fatally shot following a alleged shoplifting call\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37320145.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Boy-1-killed-in-police-shooting-after-mum-held-him-up-to-show-officers-there-was-a-baby-in-car.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37320145.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/0_Boy-1-killed-in-police-shooting-after-mum-held-him-up-to-show-officers-there-was-a-baby-in-car.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37320145.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_Boy-1-killed-in-police-shooting-after-mum-held-him-up-to-show-officers-there-was-a-baby-in-car.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37320145.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Boy-1-killed-in-police-shooting-after-mum-held-him-up-to-show-officers-there-was-a-baby-in-car.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Kohen was fatally shot following a alleged shoplifting call\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Kohen was fatally shot following a alleged shoplifting call<cite aria-label=\"Image: Facebook\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Facebook)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said: \u201cKohen Wiley was a baby. His mother, who has not been charged with any crime, says she was trying to communicate to officers that there was a baby in the car. <!-- -->They fired anyway, leading to the death of an innocent 1-year-old. We intend to seek justice for baby Kohen and the life that was stolen from him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">But there have been differing accounts of what unfolded. In a statement, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI) said officers had \u201cencountered two subjects and a juvenile child fleeing from the store into a vehicle\u201d that then drove towards police, almost striking one officer. The stage agency said police attempted to stop the vehicle, &#8220;but the driver drove in the direction of the officers, almost striking one.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The MBI said an officer then discharged their weapon, firing at the vehicle. The bureau added that the driver drove to a nearby hospital, where the young child was pronounced dead.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell said five agents had been assigned to investigate alongside the state\u2019s Attorney General\u2019s office and that witness testimony and video evidence, including officers\u2019 body-worn camera and Walmart security footage, would be reviewed. <!-- -->He said: \u201cIt\u2019s important that we keep civility during this process, so we can get to the bottom of it and analyze all the evidence and ultimately make it available to you.\u201d<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-37320148\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37320148\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.83\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A protest took place on Tuesday\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37320148.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Boy-1-killed-in-police-shooting-after-mum-held-him-up-to-show-officers-there-was-a-baby-in-car.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37320148.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/0_Boy-1-killed-in-police-shooting-after-mum-held-him-up-to-show-officers-there-was-a-baby-in-car.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37320148.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_Boy-1-killed-in-police-shooting-after-mum-held-him-up-to-show-officers-there-was-a-baby-in-car.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37320148.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Boy-1-killed-in-police-shooting-after-mum-held-him-up-to-show-officers-there-was-a-baby-in-car.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"A protest took place on Tuesday\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">A protest took place on Tuesday<cite aria-label=\"Image: NBC\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: NBC)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The shooting sparked protests outside the Walmart on Tuesday, where officers wearing gas masks deployed tear gas to disperse crowds. The officer who shot Kohen was placed on administrative leave while the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation investigated the incident.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">But in a post on social media, Mr Crump argued: &#8220;For Kohen&#8217;s family, leave is not accountability! Join us in demanding the release of all body camera and surveillance footage and a full, transparent investigation into this heartbreaking tragedy.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Mr Tindell said the footage would not be released until the MBI finishes its investigation. In a statement, the Mississippi Department of Public safety said: &#8220;MBI is currently assessing this critical incident and gathering evidence. Upon completing the investigation, agents will share their findings with the Attorney General&#8217;s Office. This information is preliminary and subject to change.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The Senatobia police department said in a statement on Sunday that it was &#8220;committed to full transparency&#8221;. The statement read: &#8220;<!-- -->The Senatobia Police Department is currently investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred today at approximately 2:05 PM at Walmart. Preliminary reports indicate that officers responded to a report of shoplifting, which led to officers discharging their firearms.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;The area is safe but remains closed as the investigation has been turned over to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI). We advise the public to avoid this area while MBI processes the scene. <!-- -->We are committed to full transparency. As the investigation progresses and facts are verified, we will share as much information as possible.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/us-news\/kohen-wiley-mississippi-walmart-shooting-37320159\" target=\"_blank\">Source link<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Grieving mum Vellesiya Wiley said she had been trying to alert officers that there was<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6118,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6117","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crime"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2_Boy-1-killed-in-police-shooting-after-mum-held-him-up-to-show-officers-there-was-a-baby-in-car.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6117","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6117"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6117\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6118"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}