A child is dead and one other person is injured following a shooting involving a Mississippi police officer who fired at a vehicle during a response to a shoplifting call, according to authorities.
The incident took place Sunday after three individuals, one of them a child, left a Walmart in Senatobia and got into a vehicle, according to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, which has taken over the case.
When officers attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver steered it in the direction of the officers, nearly striking one of them, the bureau said. An officer responded by firing at the vehicle, which then fled the scene.
The three occupants drove themselves to a nearby hospital, where the child was pronounced dead. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation has not confirmed whether the child sustained gunshot wounds.
The Senatobia Police Department addressed the situation on Facebook, writing, “As the investigation progresses and facts are verified, we will share as much information as possible.” The department had not responded to media inquiries at the time of this report.
The Tate County Sheriff’s Office, which also had personnel on scene during the shooting, declined to offer any comment on the matter.
Walmart released a statement saying the company is cooperating with law enforcement throughout the investigation. “We’re saddened by what took place at our Senatobia, MS, store,” a company spokesperson said.
Senatobia is located roughly 40 miles — about 65 kilometers — south of Memphis, Tennessee.
