Mississippi Black mom was accused of stealing diapers from Walmart. Then her 1yo baby was shot in the parking lot

A Mississippi mother faced accusations of shoplifting diapers from Walmart while carrying her 1-year-old son. Moments later, police opened fire on the car she was in, leaving her critically injured and her baby dead.

The child, Kohen Wiley, died after a bullet pierced the vehicle in the parking lot of the Senatobia Walmart, according to his family and reporting from WREG. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is handling the case, while questions remain about what happened between the initial shoplifting call and the shooting.

According to WREG, officers responded to a shoplifting report and saw two adults and a child leave Walmart and get into a car. Police said the driver then drove in the direction of an officer, nearly hitting them, before at least one officer fired at the vehicle.

Witnesses described a chaotic scene outside Walmart

The car continued to the hospital after the shots rang out, where Kohen died. WREG reported that the vehicle had at least one bullet hole in the front windshield and heavy damage to the passenger-side window.

A witness who spoke with WREG said she saw officers running through the Walmart parking lot before the vehicle drove away. She said she then heard gunshots and questioned why officers would fire at a car leaving a public parking lot.

Another witness gave WREG a different detail about what happened before the shooting. He said law enforcement was already in the parking lot when two women left the store carrying one box of diapers, with one of the women holding Kohen.

Kohen’s grandfather, Carlos Haynes, said the family wants someone held accountable for the toddler’s death. His great-grandmother, Carolyn Stokes, also criticized the Senatobia Police Department, saying she had repeatedly heard about problems involving the department.

The investigation is expected to rely heavily on surveillance and officer-worn camera footage. WREG reported that it requested Walmart’s surveillance footage, as well as body camera and dash camera footage from the officers involved. The mayor of Senatobia declined to say how many officers were involved or whether the department placed any officers on administrative leave while the investigation continued.

The shooting has also drawn attention because of previous controversies involving the Senatobia Police Department. WREG reported that the department faced criticism after officers tackled a woman and drew a Taser during a dispute over a handicap parking space at the same Walmart. In another widely reported case, officers detained a 10-year-old boy after he urinated in a private parking lot.

Those incidents do not establish what happened during the shooting involving Kohen. Though they have contributed to calls from some residents for greater transparency from the department.

TikTok users debate what happened

A large part of the comment section focused less on picking a side and more on what remained unclear. “Context is key!” one viewer wrote, while others questioned the receipt, why the vehicle left the parking lot and what happened before officers opened fire.

“Something’s not adding up here” became a common sentiment, with comments ranging from “missing too much info bro” to “More to the story.” Others urged people to wait for surveillance and body camera footage before forming an opinion.

The debate also focused on the police claim that the driver moved toward an officer. Some viewers argued that detail could explain the officers’ response, while others questioned why police would fire at a vehicle carrying a child over an alleged shoplifting incident.

The comments split between viewers demanding accountability and those calling for more evidence. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is handling the case, and additional evidence could help clarify what happened.

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