MIAMI (WSVN) - Police have arrested a man in connection to the fatal shooting of Miami-based community activist Dwight Wells, just over a year after the incident.
In court Thursday morning, Jamar Jenkins was charged with second-degree murder with a weapon in connection to the Oct. 10, 2025 killing in the Liberty City neighborhood.
The bond court appearance comes three days after U.S. Marshals surrounded the 39-year-old suspect in a parking lot with their guns drawn and took him into custody.
According to City of Miami Police, Wells was playing dominoes with two other people in front of his restaurant, located along the 5000 block of Northwest 17th Avenue, when the suspect, who was wearing a dark mask and hoodie, walked up to him, shot him multiple times and fled on foot.
Paramedics with Miami Fire Rescue transported Wells to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where the anti-gun violence activist succumbed to his injuries. He was 40 years old.
“This was an individual that was tragically murdered, so for us as law enforcement officers, to bring this case to justice, we take this personal,” said City of Miami Police Chief Edwin Lopez.
Detectives said Jenkins’ arrest was made possible through cellular device activity, geolocation data and witness accounts.
“These cases don’t only impact the family, but they impact the community. [Dwight Wells was] a person that was working with law enforcement for the betterment, to bring awareness but to also bring the level of violence down,” said Lopez. “A person that was connected to the community, that had that important peace ironed out, like the community engagement, and finally, bringing some level of calmness to communities that historically maybe have had some level of violence or relationships with law enforcement that weren’t necessarily positive.”
The arrest marks the end of a long road for Wells’ family. Over the past year, loved ones have hosted a series of community events and news conferences in an attempt to raise awareness about their loss.
Investigators said that back in 2004, Wells was convicted in the murder of Jenkins’ brother, but the suspect was supposedly unaware of this at the time he was questioned.
Wells nevertheless became a voice against gun violence, regarded as a local leader whose “Wheels Up, Guns Down” initiative aimed at helping young people pedal toward peace.
In court Thursday, Jenkins was issued no bond. He remains behind bars.
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