Kohen Wiley GoFundMe Hits Over $10K As Family For 1-Year-Old Demands Justice

Donors are rallying together to support the family of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley, who passed away on June 14 after an officer opened fire in a Walmart parking lot in Senatobia, Mississippi, while allegedly responding to a shoplifting call. As of June 22, the GoFundMe for the precious toddler hit $10,118, still short of its $13,000 goal. According to the fund’s organizer, Christopher Williams, the money will be used to cover baby Kohen’s funeral expenses and to assist his parents as they navigate his “heartbreaking loss.”

“Kohen brought so much joy to those around him, and his loss has left a void that can never be filled,” the GoFundMe campaign added. “His parents, especially his mom and dad, are struggling to cope with this unimaginable tragedy and are seeking justice for their beloved son.”

What happened to 1-year-old Kohen Wiley?

According to CNN, Senatobia police allegedly responded to a shoplifting call at a local Walmart on Sunday, where they encountered two women and a child leaving the store, getting into a vehicle, and driving away.

A statement from the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, obtained by CNN, said:

“Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver drove in the direction of the officers, almost striking one. An officer then discharged their weapon and the vehicle fled the scene.”

Kohen’s mother, Vellesiya Wiley, shared a different account in a video posted by civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump on June 18. She said she was leaving the Senatobia Walmart with a friend when officers stopped her friend. Wiley continued toward the car with her baby, while her friend eventually got into the driver’s seat. She said officers then began pursuing the vehicle as it backed out of the parking lot.

As officers approached with their weapons drawn, Wiley said she lifted Kohen to show he was inside the car, but the officers still opened fire. Kohen was struck in the rib cage, and her friend was hit in the arm and thigh. They were taken to Senatobia Hospital, where Kohen was pronounced dead, while her friend was airlifted to another facility for treatment.

Wiley also said she later learned police believed her friend had stolen diapers from Walmart and thought she was trying to hit officers while fleeing. She disputed that account, saying her friend was not driving toward officers because “they were all on the right side and she was driving towards the left.” She also questioned the shoplifting allegation, saying in the video that she believes her friend had paid for the diapers.

The officer involved in the fatal shooting has been placed on administrative leave, according to a Facebook notice from the City of Senatobia posted June 17.

In the aftermath, residents have rallied in support of the family. CNN reported that Kohen’s death has sparked protests and renewed calls for police accountability in the town of about 8,000 people, with some civil rights activists describing it as another instance of a Black life lost over something of minimal value, in this case, allegedly stolen diapers. A memorial for Kohen Wiley was placed outside the Senatobia Walmart, WREG noted. 

Bernice King, daughter of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., also commented on the incident, saying, “We are treating items on a shelf as more valuable than a child,” in a statement posted to Instagram on Wednesday. “That is not just bad policing; it is a moral collapse.”

Benjamin Crump stood by Kohen Wiley’s family at a press conference Monday, calling for accountability.

A press conference was held on June 22, where Benjamin Crump stood beside Kohen’s parents, calling for “accountability,” “transparency” and a thorough investigation into the baby’s death. Crump said in a Mississippi Department of Public Safety report that officials described Kohen “as a fleeing juvenile.”

“To the law enforcement officials, he was a 1-year-old infant baby. He was not a juvenile,” Crump said as crowd goers gasped in shock. “They were called over a box of diapers and a family now has to bury their baby. You can not put those two things next to each other and call it reasonable policing… a 1-year-old baby is not a threat to an officer with a gun.”

SEE ALSO:

Mother Of Kohen Kartier Wiley Speaks Out, Says No One Drove Toward The Cop Who Killed Her Son

Why Do Black Children Keep Getting Killed Over Cheap Products?