Family of Slain Toddler Seeks Independent Autopsy Amid Unrest
WHO:
ABC News - Kohen Wiley, a 1-year-old boy, was fatally shot by a police officer.
ABC News - Vellesiya Wiley is Kohen's mother.
ABC News - Ben Crump is the civil rights attorney representing Kohen's family.
The Guardian - Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., commented on the incident.
The Guardian - Marquell Bridges is the president and founder of the Building Bridges Coalition.
The Guardian - Veronica Roberson is Kohen's grandmother.
WHAT:
ABC News - Kohen was killed during a police shooting incident.
ABC News - The family intends to conduct an independent autopsy.
ABC News - An adult family friend was critically injured in the shooting.
The Guardian - Protests erupted in response to Kohen's death, calling for justice and police accountability.
The Guardian - The officer involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative leave.
WHERE:
ABC News - The shooting occurred outside a Walmart in Senatobia, Mississippi.
The Guardian - Senatobia is located in northwestern Mississippi, approximately 40 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee.
WHEN:
ABC News - The shooting occurred on June 14.
ABC News - Preliminary results of the independent autopsy are expected by July 1.
The Guardian - The incident has drawn comparisons to a shooting in 2023 involving Ta’Kiya Young.
WHY:
ABC News - The police were responding to a shoplifting call involving two adults and a child.
The Guardian - Activists argue that Kohen's death highlights systemic racism in law enforcement, particularly over minor offenses.
HOW:
ABC News - Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, and one officer opened fire when the driver allegedly drove toward them.
The Guardian - The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is conducting an independent investigation into the shooting.
(UPDATED June 23, 2026 01:42 UTC)
A tragic incident unfolded outside a Walmart in Senatobia, Mississippi, where a police officer fatally shot one-year-old Kohen Wiley, prompting widespread protests calling for justice and police accountability. Kohen's family, represented by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, plans to conduct an independent autopsy, with preliminary results expected by July 1, while the officer involved has been placed on administrative leave. Activists are drawing attention to the systemic issues in law enforcement highlighted by this incident, which occurred as police responded to a shoplifting call involving two adults and a child.