The death of a one-year-old child during a police intervention in Mississippi has caused outrage, protests, and a state investigation into what happened.

According to the Senatobia Police Department, officers responded to a Walmart in the city at around 2 p.m. on June 14.

Authorities were responding to a reported theft when the incident occurred, according to USA Today .

An officer who fired upon a vehicle, killing a 1-year-old boy, outside a Walmart in Mississippi has been placed on administrative leave, officials said, as outraged community members call for justice amid an ongoing investigation into the deadly shooting. https://t.co/eUoj2hP5Zs pic.twitter.com/L6wLb66zpr

— ABC News (@ABC) June 17, 2026

According to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, officers encountered two people and a child who allegedly fled the store toward a vehicle.

Authorities said they attempted to stop the car.

According to the official account, the driver directed the vehicle toward officers and came close to hitting them.

Authorities stated that one officer fired a weapon during that moment.

After the shots were fired, the vehicle left the area.

Protestors call for arrest of Mississippi officer after 1-year-old fatally shot outside Walmart https://t.co/oBgEYNOniC

— FOX 5 San Diego (@fox5sandiego) June 18, 2026

The child who died was identified as one-year-old Kohen Wiley.

According to Ben Crump, the attorney representing the family, the child was sitting inside his mother’s vehicle when police opened fire.

Crump said the child’s mother has not been charged with any crime.

He also stated that she attempted to warn officers that the child was inside the vehicle before the shooting.

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“They fired anyway, causing the death of an innocent one-year-old child,” the attorney stated.

Crump said the family will seek justice for the child’s death.

Meanwhile, authorities maintain that the vehicle nearly struck officers during the intervention.

No law enforcement officers were injured, according to official reports.

Police fired tear gas at protesters demonstrating against the killing of #KohenWiley, the 1-year-old Black boy who was shot by police on Sunday in the parking lot of a Walmart in #SenatobiaMississippi. So sad 😞 pic.twitter.com/HrMsQbOkmJ

— Landa215backup (@landa215backup) June 18, 2026

After the incident, the people inside the vehicle arrived at a local hospital.

There, Kohen Wiley was pronounced dead.

Another person was also seriously injured and received medical treatment, according to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation took over the case.

The goal is to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

On June 16, the mayor and Senatobia city council voted to temporarily suspend the officer involved.

Local authorities have not publicly released the officer’s identity.

The child’s death led to protests in Senatobia, a city located approximately 64 kilometers south of Memphis, Tennessee.

According to reports from local outlets including WAPT, WREG, and WMC, law enforcement used tear gas against protesters on June 16.