{"id":4958,"date":"2026-08-20T11:07:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T11:07:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=4958"},"modified":"2026-08-20T11:07:01","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T11:07:01","slug":"hundreds-mourn-nolan-wells-at-south-mississippi-vigil-on-teens-19th-birthday-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=4958","title":{"rendered":"Hundreds mourn Nolan Wells at South Mississippi vigil on teen\u2019s 19th birthday"},"content":{"rendered":"<article><!-- --><!-- --><!-- WPS-5038 -- removed the script from WPS and added the placeholder for trinity player --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- CONTENT --><!--[--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Wednesday was supposed to be Nolan Wells\u2019 19th birthday.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Instead, hundreds of people gathered for a prayer vigil mourning the beloved Ocean Springs teen\u2019s death and celebrating his life at Greater St. John AME Church in Biloxi.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=4957\">Yale University scientist widens investigation of polluted farmland in S.C.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs we celebrate what would have been his 19th birthday, I am reminded as a father of a 24-year-old son and the uncle of four nephews between the age of 20 and 24, how dangerous, precarious life can be for a young Black man in America,\u201d CEO of the National Urban League Marc Morial said.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>As people packed into the pews of the church, various speakers stepped up to the podium to celebrate the life of Wells and continue to call for transparency and justice as the investigation into his death conducted by the Jackson County Sheriff\u2019s Department continues.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis family has lost a whole lot,\u201d the Rev. Cory Watts said. \u201cIt\u2019s up to us to ensure justice is served for this family\u2019s young man.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Throughout the vigil, speakers called for everyone to join in prayer as they stand in solidarity with the Wonsley family, following an anonymous complaint filed against Wells\u2019 mother, Christine Wonsley, to the Mississippi Board of Nursing.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s so unfair, it is so unfair to lose your child and to be attacked just for asking for answers,\u201d attorney Ben Crump said. \u201cHow is it wrong for them to want answers for what happened to their son?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The crowd erupted as the Rev. Dr. Jamal Harrison Bryant took the stage demanding an end to the cycle of violence against Black people in America. \u201cMississippi does not have 31 years,\u201d Bryant said in reference to the assassination of civil rights leader Medgar Evers which took 31 years to be legally resolved.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=4955\">This SC city in running for Hallmark Channel\u2019s merriest Christmas town in US. Here\u2019s how to vote<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have a moment to disrupt a cycle,\u201d Bryant said. \u201cBecause the same blood that absorbed in Genesis 4 is now the same blood that is stained in Mississippi. To go from Medgar Evers, to Emmett Till, to Nolan Wells, the blood stops here. We came tonight to stop a blood cycle. We are tired of all of these innocent Black bodies being killed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>As Bryant called for the Wonsleys to come up to the stage for their own remarks, the crowd began to chant \u201cwe love Nolan Wells,\u201d out of support for the family.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>On stage, Christine Wonsley talked about memories of her son and how she wished she could have called him on his 19th birthday. \u201cThis morning I had to fight the urge to Facetime you and sing my off-tune Happy Birthday song,\u201d Wonsley said. \u201cI miss the warmth of your hugs, I miss hearing you say \u2018I love you mom\u2019, I miss everything about you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>As the Wonsleys concluded their eulogy for their son, Crump led a final chant, demanding that everyone \u201csay his name\u201d as the crowd shouted back \u201cNolan Wells.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>As the vigil concluded, a birthday cake and balloons were presented to the Wonsleys. Ending the night was a singing of \u201cHappy Birthday\u201d from the crowd as Christine and Elmore Wonsley blew out the candles for what would have been their son\u2019s 19th birthday.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=4953\">Tickets, parking &amp; bags: Here\u2019s what to know if you go to Trump\u2019s Myrtle Beach rally<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><!--]--><!--]--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hundreds gathered at Greater St. John AME Church in Biloxi to mourn Nolan Wells, call for transparency and justice as Jackson County investigates his death.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4934,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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