The attorney for the family of a 1-year-old boy who was fatally shot by a police officer in a vehicle outside a Walmart in Mississippi said they intend to conduct an independent autopsy while calling for the "full story" into the child's death.
The shooting occurred on June 14, after law enforcement officers responded to a shoplifting call in Senatobia, according to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.
Officers encountered two adults allegedly fleeing from the store with a child and going into a vehicle, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating the shooting, said. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, with one opening fire when the driver allegedly drove toward them, the bureau said. The child was killed and an adult critically injured, officials said.
One-year-old Kohen Wiley, his mother and a family friend were in the vehicle at the time, according to Ben Crump Law, which has been retained by the victim's family. Kohen was killed and the family friend was critically injured, the law firm said.
Civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Kohen's family, said the family does not want to have to rely on the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation for the autopsy.
"When a baby is killed in a police shooting, the family should never have to wonder whether they are getting the full story. This is how we make sure they get the full story," Crump said during a press event on Monday. "It is no doubt, it is no question, it is no mystery as to what killed 1-year-old baby Kohen, but we want the independent autopsy so we can verify the facts of the entry wound to the baby's body and the exit wound to the baby's body."
That information is "particularly important" in understanding the circumstances of the shooting, he continued, since footage of the incident has not been released by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.
Attorney Ben Crump, at podium, is joined by members of Kohen Wiley's family during a press event in Senatobia, Mississippi, June 22, 2026.
WATN
Crump said they hope to have preliminary results of their autopsy by July 1, following Kohen's funeral services on Saturday.
Kohen's mother, Vellesiya Wiley, has suffered panic attacks in the wake of the shooting, Crump said.
"I watched my baby take his first breath, and I watched my baby take his last breath," she said during the press event. "I'm still in complete disbelief about the traumatizing event that occurred that took my one and only child, baby Kohen."
Kohen's father was too distraught to speak, Crump said.
Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell, who oversees the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, has promised transparency in the investigation.
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"To make no mistake, this is a very tragic situation," Tindell said during a press briefing on June 16. "I want the public to be assured that the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation will conduct its independent investigation."
Photos of Kohen Wiley are shown during a press event in Senatobia, Mississippi, June 22, 2026.
WATN
He said five agents are working on the case, gathering evidence and witness statements, to ultimately present to the state's attorney general's office. He said investigators were also working to get security footage from Walmart.
"I would ask that the public maintain patience as much as possible," Tindell said. "I know this is a very frustrating time, but maintain patience as this process is done."
Tindell declined to get into the details of the case due to the ongoing investigation. He said body-camera footage will be released once the investigation is completed.
Kohen's mother has said that her friend was being pursued for allegedly shoplifting diapers, and that the friend was behind the wheel of the vehicle. Wiley said she had raised her baby to try to show the officers that Kohen was in the vehicle, and that after she lowered him she believes the officer fired three to four shots.
Crump said they have many questions remaining in the wake of the shooting, including how many shots were fired, the police department's policy on firing at a moving vehicle and where the officer was standing while firing the gun.
"Release the video, release the body cam video, release the dash cam video, release the Walmart surveillance video, release all the video because transparency plus accountability equals trust," Crump said. "Right now, the community is not trusting when you say, 'Just take our word for it. It was a life-or-death situation, and we had to fire into the car, killing baby Kohen, because an officer's life was in danger.' If that is the truth, then show us that."
Protests broke out last week over the shooting, with the community calling for justice for Kohen.
The officer involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative leave, officials said.
Senatobia is located in northwestern Mississippi about 40 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee.
"We're saddened by what took place at our Senatobia, MS, store," a Walmart spokesperson said in a statement following the shooting. "The safety of our associates and customers is a top priority. We're working with law enforcement as they continue investigating."
