Friends and family attended a funeral service for 18-year-old Nolan Wells in Ocean Springs, Mississippi on Monday, July 20. Nolan drowned after attending a Fourth of July party on Horn Island. His body was found near the Horn Island shoreline on July 6.
The Rev. Al Sharpton offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for Nolan’s death.
Sharpton announced the reward at Nolan’s funeral, TMZ reported.
Tyler Perry, who Sharpton said was watching the funeral on livestream, also offered a $50,000 reward, doubling the total to $100,000.
Sharpton said anyone with information can contact attorney Ben Crump’s office. Crump is representing Nolan’s family.
Sharpton said Nolan “was not on that island by himself” and insisted somebody knows what happened to him during the Fourth of July party.
Tyler and former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick paid to fly Nolan’s body to Washington, DC for an independent autopsy after the initial autopsy determined Nolan had drowned. Officials reported there were no signs of foul play or trauma to his body.
Nolan’s mother, Christine Wonsley, gave an emotional speech at her son’s funeral. “We thank you, Lord, for the beautiful 18 years that you blessed us with, with him,” she said. “Your absence has left an emptiness that can never truly be filled.”
Nolan Wells' mother asked people to “be like Nolan” during his memorial service on Monday, urging others to honor his memory alive by welcoming individuals with kindness. pic.twitter.com/CqZIpwLsrx
— ABC News (@ABC) July 20, 2026
Wonsley says she recently received a defaced photo showing dollar signs drawn around her while Sharpton and Crump stood nearby. The photo implies the men are cashing in on her grief.
A GoFundMe page raised over $740,000 to pay the family’s living expenses while they continue to mourn Nolan.
Al Sharpton is offering $50,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction in Nolan Wells' death … and Tyler Perry is following suit.
?: WLOX pic.twitter.com/J64tQkgPns
— TMZ (@TMZ) July 20, 2026