The search follows a boat trip around Horn Island

Social media users are lighting up timelines with theories about what happened to Nolan Xavier Wells. The 18-year-old was last seen on a boat trip in Horn Island, Mississippi on July 4. Pictures circulating online suggest the black teenager was messing with a group of white friends at the time of his disappearance. Local police have not made any arrests or suggested foul play. However, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department confirmed the multi-agency search for Wells is underway.

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What you need to know about Nolan Xavier Wells’ trip to Horn Island

As mentioned, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department is divided updated press release via social media on Sunday. They confirmed that Nolan Xavier Wells is missing. He is described as an 18-year-old black male, weighing 180 pounds and standing 6 feet 1 inch tall.

“Nolan was last seen in Horn Island, Mississippi, wearing a blue swimming trunk, not black as previously mentioned, shirtless and wearing sunglasses,” – says the press release.

Sheriff John Ledbetter reportedly last saw Nolan alive at 3 p.m. However, the department has not verified whether the teenager is currently on Horn Island on WLOX. The case is under active investigation.

Meanwhile, photos of Nolan Xavier Wells with at least three other white men have surfaced on social media. When the sheriff’s department released photos of Wells from the day, they cropped them to exclude white males. It is not yet clear whether local police have questioned the other men in the photo. A summary created by X states that the “friends” returned to the mainland without him “provided he caught another ride.” Allegedly, Nolan’s phone also ended up on the mainland.

Details about the search from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office

According to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, several agencies are involved in the search, including the Department of Marine Resources, the Gulf Coast National Guard and the U.S. Coast Guard. Another agency assisting in the search is the Combined Cajun Navy. A Cajun Navy spokesman told WLOX some details about the search and what may have happened to Nolan Xavier Wells.

“Some people thought maybe he got lost in the middle of the island, maybe in that lake. We sent people out there today and if he was barefoot, there’s no way he got there,” Brian Thrasher said. “There are cacti and a lot of thorn bushes. He wouldn’t have been able to get comfortably to the middle of the island. He probably would have turned around and gone to the beach.”

Black social media users criticized the incident

While the search for Nolan continues, more details about his personal life have become known. He played football at Ocean Springs High School and currently plays wide receiver at Southwest Mississippi Community College.

In addition to the details about the 18-year-old, social networks are broadcasting information about what might have happened to him. Black Internet users, in particular, have debated whether black people are in all-white spaces or having “token friends” in all-white groups. One incident referred to is that of Tamla Horsford, a black mother in her 40s who was found dead in the backyard of a house in Georgia after a sleepover with a group of whites. Prosecutors ultimately declined to press charges in the case.

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