A 1-year-old boy is dead and another person wounded after a Mississippi police officer shot at a vehicle while responding to a shoplifting call, according to authorities and the child’s grandfather.
The child’s mother, her friend and 1-year-old Kohen Wiley were in the vehicle during the shooting on Sunday, Marquell Bridges, a community advocate who is helping the family find legal representation, said. Wiley’s mother was physically unharmed, but her friend was seriously injured, said Bridges, the president and founder of an advocacy group called the Building Bridges Coalition.
The three had gotten into the vehicle after exiting a Walmart in Senatobia, according to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation. As police tried to stop the vehicle, the driver drove toward them and almost hit an officer, according to the bureau, which is investigating the shooting. An officer then shot at the vehicle, which drove away.
The two women drove to a hospital, where Kohen was pronounced dead.
Carlos Haynes described his grandson as a happy baby and said he was looking forward to watching him grow.
“Someone ended it all before it could even start,” Haynes said.
The Senatobia Police Department, which responded to the call, did not immediately respond to The Associated Press’ inquiries.
“As the investigation progresses and facts are verified, we will share as much information as possible,” the department wrote in a Facebook post.
The Tate County Sheriff’s Office, which was also present during the shooting, declined to comment.
Walmart said it is working with law enforcement during the investigation.
“We’re saddened by what took place at our Senatobia, MS, store,” a Walmart spokesperson said in a statement.
Senatobia is about 40 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee.
