Black Lives Matter Grassroots condemns Attorney General Lynn Fitch’s determination that the murder of baby Kohen Wiley was “justified.” Senatobia cop Hunter Foster, who has a documented history of racism and violence, shot the one-year-old dead in his mother’s arms on June 14, 2026 after she was falsely accused of failing to pay for a pack of diapers at Walmart.
This is one of the most egregious and horrifying acts of anti-Black violence that we have seen from the police. Police should have never been called. The cop should never have shot. And the murder can never be justified. We have had enough of white supremacist systems terrorizing our communities, stealing Black lives, and justifying it.
The now-leaked bodycam footage shows that Senatobia police immediately escalated by pulling their guns when approaching the vehicle occupied by Baby Kohen Wiley, his mother, and a friend. Murderous cop Hunter Foster shot into the car – striking the friend and killing Baby Kohen. In his estimation, the life of a precious baby was worth less than a pack of diapers.
“What kind of world is this when the murder of a baby could ever be deemed ‘justified’? Senatobia police, Lynn Fitch, and Walmart all have blood on their hands and there must be consequences. They don’t get to murder our babies with impunity,” says Dr. Melina Abdullah of Black Lives Matter Grassroots.
We condemn Walmart for calling police on a Black mother.
We condemn killer cop Hunter Foster for shooting a precious Black baby.
We condemn the Senatobia Police Department for serving as a breeding ground for racist violence and greenlighting the killing and terrorization of Black people.
We condemn Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch (below) for enabling police to kill – even babies – with absolute impunity.
Memorials for Baby Kohen have already restarted. November 1st marks what should have been Baby Kohen’s second birthday. Black Lives Matter Grassroots and Building Bridges Coalition is planning a weekend of events with Baby Kohen’s family in Senatobia and Jackson to memorialize his short life, support community healing and empowerment, and rally for justice in Kohen’s name.
“Kohen’s entire family is in unimaginable pain. They should be celebrating his birthday, not mourning his death. The community is organizing and demanding accountability,” says Marquell Bridges, of the Building Bridges Coalition, who has been organizing alongside Kohen’s family since immediately following news of the killing.
In addition to mobilizing in Senatobia and Jackson from October 30th through November 2nd, Baby Kohen’s family, Black Lives Matter Grassroots and the Building Bridges Coalition is calling for community to:
Boycott Walmart.
Demand the firing of killer cop Hunter Foster.
Oppose Attorney General Lynn Fitch, especially in her bid for Mississippi Governor.
Plug in with @blmgrassroots on Instagram for next steps.
Justice in the name of Baby Kohen Wiley!
