Kohen Wiley was a 1-year-old boy who was fatally shot by a police officer outside a Walmart in Senatobia, Mississippi, on June 14, 2026. He was sitting in his mother Vellesiya Wiley's lap when officers opened fire on a car following a suspected shoplifting incident. On October 19, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced that the shooting was justified and declined to pursue criminal charges. A day later, newly released police body-camera and surveillance footage offered the public its first detailed look at the confrontation, raising further questions about what happened.
Who Was Kohen Wiley?
Kohen Wiley was a Black toddler whose death during a police encounter in Senatobia drew national attention and prompted months of protests and demands for transparency.
He was the only child of Vellesiya Wiley, a young mother who was holding him when the shooting occurred. His grandmother, Veronica Roberson, remembered him as a happy, affectionate little boy who brought joy to his family.
Kohen was just 1 year old when he died, turning what began as a police response to an alleged theft of diapers and baby clothing into a fatal encounter that has deeply affected his family and the local community.
What Happened to Kohen Wiley at the Senatobia Walmart?
On June 14, 2026, Senatobia police responded to a reported shoplifting incident at a Walmart in northern Mississippi. The complaint involved diapers and baby clothes allegedly taken by two women.
Vellesiya Wiley and her friend Latoya Ferrell were leaving the store with Kohen when officers approached them in the parking lot.
Ferrell was driving a gray Ford Fusion, while Vellesiya sat in the front passenger seat with her son in her arms.
According to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation's initial account, the driver moved the vehicle toward officers and nearly struck one of them. An officer then fired into the car, fatally wounding Kohen and seriously injuring Ferrell.
Vellesiya disputed the original police account, saying she tried to show officers that she was holding a baby before shots were fired. She also denied shoplifting and said she believed her friend had paid for the merchandise at the self-checkout.
No criminal charges against either woman had been reported as of October 21, 2026.
New Body-Camera Video Reveals Moments Before the Shooting
On October 20, 2026, a compilation of police body-camera and surveillance footage became public, providing a clearer picture of the moments leading up to Kohen's death.
The footage was first published by Darkhorse Press and subsequently examined by The New York Times, Mississippi Today, and Verite News.
It shows five officers approaching the vehicle as the two women attempt to leave the parking lot. The car reverses and strikes a parked SUV before stopping.
Officers then surround the vehicle and order the driver to stop. When the car moves forward again, it turns left and appears to travel toward at least one officer before passing between two officers with their weapons drawn.
At least one officer opens fire. The video analysis indicates that additional shots were fired while the officer was positioned beside the moving vehicle.
These details are significant because the legal justification for the shooting depends partly on whether officers reasonably faced an immediate threat of serious injury or death.
However, the footage does not show every moment of the confrontation. The body-camera recordings publicly available on October 20 came from two responding officers, not the officer who fired the shots. The videos also do not clearly show Kohen, his mother, or the driver inside the vehicle.
The newly released footage therefore adds important evidence without resolving every disputed aspect of the incident.
Who Is Kohen Wiley's Mother, Vellesiya Wiley?
Vellesiya Wiley was 20 years old when her son was killed. She witnessed the shooting while holding Kohen in the passenger seat.
In interviews and public statements, Vellesiya described the devastating experience of losing her only child. She said the officers had their guns drawn and that she attempted to make them aware of the baby's presence.
Her account has remained central to the family's challenge to the state's findings.
Vellesiya also told reporters in October that investigators from the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation had never interviewed her about what happened.
Her mother, Veronica Roberson, has supported the family's efforts to obtain information and has publicly questioned why officials failed to communicate their findings directly to Kohen's relatives.
Following the announcement that no officer would be prosecuted, the family continued calling for the complete release of the available recordings and investigative evidence.
Who Is Senatobia Police Officer Hunter Foster?
Hunter Foster is a sergeant with the Senatobia Police Department who has been identified in investigative records and media reporting about the shooting.
He joined the Senatobia department in March 2025 after previously working in law enforcement in DeSoto County, Mississippi.
Foster was placed on administrative leave following Kohen's death. Although the Attorney General's Office did not identify the officer in its brief public announcement, investigative reporting has linked Foster to the fatal shooting.
Mississippi Today also examined allegations concerning Foster's previous conduct, including a federal civil rights lawsuit arising from an earlier police encounter. That lawsuit was settled without a public finding that Foster had committed the alleged misconduct.
His prior employment history became part of the wider discussion about accountability, but it does not independently determine whether the June 2026 shooting was legally justified.
Why Did Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch Clear the Officer?
On October 19, 2026, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced that her office had completed its review of Kohen Wiley's death and found the use of force justified.
The decision followed an investigation by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, which had submitted its findings to the Attorney General's Office in September.
Fitch's public statement provided little explanation of how investigators evaluated the evidence. A separate letter indicated that her office found insufficient evidence of criminal conduct to bring charges against the officers.
The decision effectively ended the state's criminal prosecution review without an indictment.
However, declining criminal charges is not the same as a court ruling that settles every factual disagreement about an incident. The family's questions about the officers' positions, the timing of the shots, and the available recordings remain relevant to the public discussion.
What Did the Independent Autopsy Reveal?
Before the release of the new videos, Kohen's family had commissioned an independent forensic examination to better understand how he was shot.
On July 1, civil rights attorney Ben Crump presented preliminary findings from forensic pathologist Dr. Robert Mitchell.
According to the family's legal team, the examination indicated that the bullet entered Kohen's body from the side rather than directly from the front.
Crump also presented photographs showing damage to the vehicle's front passenger-side window, arguing that the physical evidence raised doubts about whether officers were directly in the car's path when they fired.
The October 20 footage provides additional context because it appears to show shots fired from positions near the front and side of the moving vehicle.
Still, determining whether deadly force was legally justified requires a broader examination of the vehicle's movement, the officers' positions, and the circumstances at the precise moment each shot was fired.
Ben Crump Challenges the State's Findings
Ben Crump, a nationally known civil rights attorney, represents Kohen Wiley's family alongside Memphis attorney Van Turner.
Following Fitch's announcement, Crump criticized the state's handling of the investigation and called for greater transparency.
The legal team has argued that the public deserves access to the evidence underlying a decision not to prosecute an officer whose gunfire killed a child.
The family also believes the case raises broader concerns about the use of deadly force during police encounters involving suspected nonviolent offenses.
While some video has now become public, additional recordings, including footage from other responding officers, had not been fully disclosed as of October 21.
According to Mississippi Today's October 20 report, family members were scheduled to view further footage on October 22.
Why the Kohen Wiley Case Has Drawn National Attention
The shooting has become the subject of wider scrutiny because it involved a young child, an alleged shoplifting incident, conflicting accounts of the danger faced by officers, and a lengthy delay in the public release of video evidence.
It also occurred amid existing concerns about the Senatobia Police Department's relationship with Black residents.
In 2023, the department faced criticism after an officer arrested a 10-year-old Black boy for urinating in public. The officer was later dismissed.
More recently, the department's former police chief, Harold Vanderford, was dismissed after investigative reporting uncovered racist language in private text messages.
These separate incidents have contributed to public mistrust, although they do not establish that racial bias caused the shooting of Kohen Wiley.
For residents seeking accountability, the central questions remain whether the officer's use of force was necessary and whether the investigation was sufficiently thorough and transparent.
What Happens Next in the Kohen Wiley Case?
With the Attorney General's Office declining criminal prosecution, attention has shifted toward the remaining evidence and the possibility of further legal action.
The release of additional recordings may help clarify the movement of the vehicle and the decisions made by officers during the confrontation.
The family may also pursue civil legal remedies separate from the state's criminal review. As of October 21, 2026, the reports reviewed for this article did not establish a final civil court ruling concerning Kohen's death.
For Vellesiya Wiley and her relatives, the central concern remains understanding precisely how and why the shooting occurred.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Kohen Wiley?
Kohen Wiley was a 1-year-old boy killed by police gunfire during a confrontation outside a Walmart in Senatobia, Mississippi, on June 14, 2026.
Who is Kohen Wiley's mom?
His mother is Vellesiya Wiley, who was 20 years old when the shooting occurred. She was holding Kohen in the front passenger seat of the vehicle.
Who is Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch?
Lynn Fitch is Mississippi's Republican attorney general. On October 19, 2026, her office determined that the police shooting was justified and declined to pursue criminal charges.
Who is Hunter Foster?
Hunter Foster is a Senatobia police sergeant identified in investigative reporting about the shooting. He was placed on administrative leave after the incident.
What does the new Kohen Wiley body-camera footage show?
The footage shows the vehicle reversing into a parked SUV, stopping, and then moving forward between officers before shots were fired. It does not capture the entire incident or the firing officer's body-camera perspective.
Did police charge Kohen Wiley's mother with shoplifting?
No charges against Vellesiya Wiley or the driver, Latoya Ferrell, had been reported as of October 21, 2026.
Why is Ben Crump involved in the case?
Ben Crump represents Kohen's family and has challenged the state's decision, calling for full disclosure of the evidence and accountability for the child's death.
Has anyone been charged in Kohen Wiley's death?
No. Mississippi's Attorney General announced on October 19, 2026, that the shooting was justified and that state criminal charges would not be pursued.
Is Kehinde Wiley related to Kohen Wiley?
No publicly verified relationship has been established between Kohen Wiley and Kehinde Wiley, the American portrait artist known for painting former President Barack Obama's official portrait.
Conclusion
The death of Kohen Wiley has left his family searching for answers about a police encounter that began with a reported shoplifting complaint and ended with the loss of a 1-year-old child.
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch has determined that the shooting was justified, but the newly released video footage and the family's account have kept questions about the officer's actions at the center of public attention.
As additional evidence becomes available, the case remains an important test of investigative transparency, the limits of police use of force, and the responsibility of public officials to explain decisions involving a child's death.
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