Nationwide — Vellesiya Wiley, the 20-year-old mom of Kohen, a one-year-old boy who was shot dead by police in a Walmart parking lot over alleged stolen diapers, is under fire for her appearance and for flashing cash at her son’s funeral.
The funeral for Kohen took place on Saturday, June 27. His small casket was carried by children and later placed in a white horse-drawn carriage for the procession. However, photos and videos from the service showed Vellesiya dressed in what some are describing as “prom attire”. She was also holding a lot of cash while visibly smiling.
According to Sandra Rose, she and Kohen’s father were also seen riding in a horse carriage during the funeral. The visuals quickly spread across social media, where many users reacted strongly and questioned what they saw during the service and procession.
Online reactions were mixed. Some users criticized the display of money and the overall tone of the funeral. Others expressed confusion about the imagery shared online, with many questioning how the ceremony was conducted and why it appeared the way it did in viral posts.
The funeral followed the death of Kohen Wiley, who was killed during a police encounter in Senatobia, Mississippi. The incident started when police responded to a shoplifting report at a Walmart in Senatobia. Officers claimed they spotted a vehicle moving through the parking lot and alleged the driver steered toward them, nearly striking an officer during the encounter.
Vellesiya, Kohen’s 20-year-old mother, shared a different account in a video released through civil rights attorney Ben Crump. She said her friend had just paid for diapers at a self-checkout inside the store before the situation escalated outside in the parking lot.
Vellesiya said police approached them as they entered the car with Kohen inside. She said officers pulled their weapons, and she held her son up to show he was in the vehicle while tensions rose quickly.
She added that the driver shifted the car in reverse and hit another vehicle during the confusion. Moments later, she said she heard gunfire. She claimed Kohen was struck in the rib area, while the driver was also hit in the arm and thigh.
Vellesiya disputed the police account that the vehicle moved directly toward officers. She said the car was angled away from them and alleged that officers fired into the vehicle as it tried to leave the scene.