Christine Wonsley and Elmore Wonsley, mother and stepfather of Nolan Wells, stand on a stage with a photo of their son as they appear at the National Urban League's annual conference to share updates on his death on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. John Amis/AP Photo hide caption
Elmore Wonsley, center, speaks next to attorney Ben Crump, left, and Rev. Al Sharpton during a memorial service for Nolan Xavier Wells on Monday. Gerald Herbert/AP hide caption
Christine Wells-Wonsley (center) is flanked by her husband, Elmore (second from left), attorney Ben Crump (left), and the Rev. Al Sharpton (right) during a memorial service on Monday in Ocean Springs, Miss., for her son Nolan Xavier Wells, an 18-year-old found dead after taking a July 4 boat trip with friends. Gerald Herbert/AP hide caption
KIRBY Justin Hardiman/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Mississippi Supreme Court justices listen to arguments in Jackson, Miss., on July 6, 2023. On Friday, a judge ordered special elections for the court after earlier finding that the electoral map used to select justices violates the Voting Rights Act. Rogelio V. Solis/AP hide caption
Families of the shooting victims head into a meeting with authorities at Leland City Hall on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025 in Leland, Miss. Katie Adkins/AP hide caption
Delta State University sign on the campus grounds, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025 in Cleveland, Miss. Sophie Bates/AP hide caption
Friends and family of a deceased Delta State University student gather outside to pray after a law enforcement briefing, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025, in Cleveland, Miss. Sophie Bates/AP hide caption
An aerial view of rebuilt elevated homes earlier this month along Waveland Beach in Mississippi, an area hard-hit by Hurricane Katrina 20 years ago. The catastrophic storm sent an approximately 30-foot-high storm surge into Waveland and destroyed or damaged nearly every home in the town. Nearly 1,400 people died across the Gulf Coast, and it remains the costliest storm in U.S. history at around $200 billion in today's dollars. Mario Tama/Getty Images hide caption
A statue of Emmett Till is unveiled on October 21, 2022, in Greenwood, Miss., in memory of 14-year-old Emmett Till. His 1955 lynching is considered the spark that ignited the civil rights movement. Scott Olson/Getty Images hide caption
Cathy Hamel, 69, lost everything she had in Hurricane Katrina. She was delighted to get back her freshman high school ID card that she lost 20 years ago in the storm. Gulf Island National Seashore Park Ranger Becky Copeland (left) found the ID card on Horn Island, off the coast of Mississippi. Elizabeth Shadle hide caption
Attendees view an AI data center at the SK networks stand during the MWC (Mobile World Congress), March 3, 2025. MANAURE QUINTERO/Getty Images hide caption
President Trump's tariff policy is creating uncertainty for places like Tupelo, Miss. with a manufacturing-dependent economy. It's in a conservative county, best known as the birth place of Elvis, where Trump got nearly 70% of the vote. Debbie Elliott/NPR hide caption
This combination of photos shows former Mississippi law enforcement officers who pleaded guilty to state and federal charges for torturing two Black men, from top left, former Rankin County sheriffโs deputies Hunter Elward, Christian Dedmon, Brett McAlpin, Jeffrey Middleton, Daniel Opdyke and former Richland police officer Joshua Hartfield, during court appearances Monday, Aug. 14, 2023, in Brandon, Miss. Rogelio V. Solis/AP hide caption
A man looks at flood waters brought by Hurricane Francine Thursday morning, as he sits near the entrance to the Treasure Chest Casino in Kenner, La., in Jefferson Parish. Matthew Hinton/AP hide caption
Jerrian Reedy, left, a student at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, assists Dorothy Gray, a student at Northside High School in the Mississippi Delta, as she practices intubation in a simulation lab. Gray, who is interested in pursuing a career in the mental health care field, attended the University of Mississippi School of Medicineโs annual African American Visit Day in April. Lauren Sausser for KFF Health News hide caption
A coalition of advocates call for full Medicaid expansion in Mississippi at a rally at the State Capitol in Jackson, Miss., Wednesday, April 17, 2024. The gathering drew supporters from throughout the state representing religious, social and human service organizations, medical professionals and legislators. Rogelio V. Solis/AP hide caption
Nakala Murry (shown right) could potentially lose custody of her three kids after a Mississippi police officer shot and wounded her son, 11-year-old Aderrien Murry (shown left) in May 2023 after calling 911 for a domestic incident at the family's home. Nakala Murry hide caption
Michael Corey Jenkins, right, follows a friend as he enters the federal courthouse in Jackson, Miss., Wednesday, for sentencing on the third of the six former Rankin County law enforcement officers who committed racially motivated, violent torture on him and his friend Eddie Terrell Parker in 2023. The six former law officers pleaded guilty to torturing them. Rogelio V. Solis/AP hide caption
Azzam, 12, hugs a sheep, the only source of his family's livelihood in rural Damascus on Feb 21, 2022. Azzam and his family have experienced firsthand the harrowing impact of the conflict. In 2015, when Azzam was five years old, a shell fell on the building where he was sitting with his family. Hasan Belal for NPR hide caption
Copies of the 911 calls placed by 11-year-old Aderrien Murry and his grandmother to the Indianola Police Department were released Friday. The calls raise questions about the May 20, 2023, incident and how the situation was handled by authorities. Here, an image from the body camera footage shows the moment Sgt. Greg Capers fired his weapon at Aderrien. Mississippi Bureau of Investigation hide caption
Body camera footage shows the moments leading up to Indianola, Miss., police officer Greg Capers shooting and wounding 11-year-old Aderrien Murry following a call the boy made to authorities for help. Mississippi Bureau of Investigation hide caption
The Georgia State Capitol was among several state legislatures evacuated Wednesday following bomb threats. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption
Despite the outcome from both the grand jury and the Mississippi Attorney General's Office, Aderrien's mother โ Nakala Murry โ says she will continue to fight for justice for her son. Here, Aderrien Murry poses for a picture outside of his home in Indianola, Miss. Nakala Murry hide caption