Congress Calls for National Park Service Probe into Teen's Death on Gulf Island

On July 4, 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells vanished from Horn Island, part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, and his body was recovered two days later. A Jackson County grand jury deemed the death probably a drowning, yet his parents note the absence of water in his lungs and signs of blunt-force trauma to his head. In response, Rep. Frederica Willson wrote to the National Park Service, FBI Director Kash Patel and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Sept. 28 requesting a prompt, exhaustive investigation, a request echoed by the Congressional Black Caucus in a separate letter.

Civil-rights attorney Ben Crump joined the family at a news conference in Inglewood, California, reiterating calls for federal involvement. The family’s advocate, Christine Wonsley, expressed frustration that the only official explanation remains “consistent with accidental drowning.” Advocacy groups, including Stop AAPI Hate, also demanded answers and condemned harassment directed at the family.