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 a day 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.
Surveillance video captured the shooting unfold.
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.”
Detectives recovered five bullet casings from the shooting scene, which matched ballistic evidence from a separate case involving Jenkins in 2024.
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. His family affectionately called their loved one “Screamer.”
On Thursday, the family gathered at Charles Hadley Park to celebrate Jenkins’ arrest.
“Thank you God! We got the victory! Screamer got justice!” said Mary Brown, Wells’ mother. “Justice is served! Justice is served! Justice is served!”
The victim’s family said that while the arrest doesn’t bring their loved one back, they are grateful to God that justice was served.
“That was the work of an awesome God. Only He could have done that because nobody was telling. Only God put this up on the map,” said Brown.
Police suspect Wells’ murder is a case of revenge. 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.
According to an arrest warrant from last December, Jenkins’ other brother, James, told Miami Police that “several members of his family” including Jamar, “were still upset with victim W over the murder of their brother.”
“W” is believed to be referring to Wells.
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 a 2017 interview with 7News, Wells talked about his mission.
“We started up with the kids on their bikes, you know, doing tricks, and I’d seen that bikes was always a part of our culture. Keeping the guns out of their hands was our main objective, and that’s what we’re all about,” he said.
In court Thursday, Jenkins was issued no bond. He remains behind bars. He is expected back in court on Friday.
Wells’ family told 7News that Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava is expected to dedicate Oct. 25 as “Screamer Day” in honor of Wells.
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