One of the biggest mysteries surrounding the death of 18 year old football player Nolan Wells may not be what it first appeared to be.

A viral video recorded on Mississippi’s Horn Island on July 4 has been widely circulated online since Wells’ disappearance, with many believing it captured the final moments before the Southwest Mississippi Community College athlete vanished. Some viewers even speculated that Wells could be heard arguing in the footage.

Now, one of Wells’ closest friends says that interpretation is wrong.

In his first media interview, 20 year old Tracestin Shepherd told Rolling Stone that he, not Wells, was the person shouting in the video. Shepherd said the clip actually shows the aftermath of a separate dispute involving him and another young man, and insists Wells was never part of the confrontation.

“In that video, you hear somebody yelling. That is me,” Shepherd said. “It’s me yelling. My exact wording is, ‘Get me off this f****** boat.’ I wanted to fight, and I felt like I hadn’t had my fair share.”

According to Shepherd, he had traveled to Horn Island with family and friends to celebrate Independence Day and meet up with Wells and several other classmates. The group had often visited the island together on weekends.

The argument reportedly began around 3:30 p.m. while Shepherd was standing waist deep in the water arguing with his girlfriend. He said another young man, whom he knew only casually and who had not arrived with Wells’ group, interrupted the conversation.

“I told him he needed to mind his own business,” Shepherd recalled.

The verbal exchange soon escalated into a physical fight. Shepherd said his uncle, who helped raise him, ordered him back onto the family’s boat so they could leave the island. After boarding, Shepherd admitted he wanted to return to shore and continue the confrontation.

“My friends had started defending me back on shore,” he said.

It was during that moment that another adult on a nearby boat began filming the now viral video.

Shepherd’s version of events has been supported by several people who were there, including his girlfriend, his uncle, and a family friend seen in the footage trying to calm him down.

“He wanted to get off the boat and go fight the dude he got into it with,” the family friend said. “Nobody knows what Tracestin was saying better than me because he was screaming it in my face.”

As Wells’ disappearance made national headlines, many social media users believed the teenager appeared in the video because one person on the beach was wearing blue swim trunks similar to those Wells had on that day.

Shepherd strongly disputes that claim.

He said the man people identified as Wells is much shorter than his 6 foot 2 friend and insisted Wells never appears in the recording.

“Nolan is not shown in the video at all,” Shepherd said, explaining that Wells was outside the camera’s frame and spending time in the water nearby.

The video later became a key topic after civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents Wells’ family, referenced it during a press conference. Crump claimed Wells could be heard saying, “Give me my freaking phone. What are you freaking doing?”

However, another friend of Wells, Jayvon Williams, also questioned that interpretation in an interview with TMZ. Williams said the audio sounded much more like Shepherd than Wells and believed the voices came from the nearby boat rather than the people standing on shore.

Shepherd confirmed Williams was referring to him.

“Those were not Nolan’s words,” Shepherd said. “They were mine.”

Crump has not publicly responded to Shepherd’s account.

Despite trying to correct the record, Shepherd emphasized that his focus remains on honoring his late friend. He described Wells as someone who welcomed everyone and constantly lifted up those around him.

“He made sure everybody was included,” Shepherd said. “He didn’t see any flaws you had. He only saw the positive you brought into his life. If Nolan was your friend, he was your biggest supporter.”

Shepherd said he decided to speak publicly after giving investigators a full statement because he hopes to stop misinformation from spreading online. He also revealed that some of Wells’ friends have received threats from people who mistakenly believed the viral video showed Wells involved in a violent altercation.

“I’m tired of speculation,” Shepherd said. “It’s time for somebody to start speaking up.”

Fighting back tears, he added, “I get that everybody wants justice for Nolan. Everybody wants to know exactly what happened. Will we ever know?”

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate Wells’ death, while his family is pursuing an independent autopsy as they seek answers about what happened during his final hours on Horn Island.