More than a year after Dwight C. Wells was fatally shot outside his restaurant in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood, police have announced an arrest in the case.
Jamar Lionel Jenkins, 39, was arrested on Wednesday, according to Miami police. Wells, 40, was killed in October 2025 while playing dominoes outside Winning and Won Turkey Legs, the restaurant he owned.
The arrest marks a significant development in a case that left Wells’ family, friends and community members searching for answers. He was widely known for his efforts to help young people and promote alternatives to gun violence through his Bikes Up, Guns Down initiative.
Authorities have not provided further details about the circumstances surrounding Jenkins’ arrest in the information currently available.
What Happened the Night Dwight Wells Was Killed?
The shooting happened on the evening of October 10, 2025, outside Wells’ restaurant at 5090 NW 17th Avenue in Liberty City.
According to police, Wells was sitting outside and playing dominoes with two other people when a man approached him and opened fire. The shooter then fled the scene on foot.
Officers arrived after receiving reports of a shooting and found Wells critically injured. Miami Fire Rescue transported him to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he later died.
Investigators launched a homicide investigation, seeking information about the person responsible for the killing.
The attack took place outside a business Wells had worked hard to establish. For those who knew him, his death was not only the loss of a local business owner but also the loss of someone who had invested considerable time and energy in his neighborhood.
Wells Was Known for Helping Young People
Wells became a familiar figure in Miami through his work with Bikes Up, Guns Down, an initiative focused on steering young people away from gun violence and encouraging community involvement.
He also helped organize Wheels Up, Guns Down events associated with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. The gatherings brought together riders and young people, although some events faced criticism over unsafe riding and traffic disruptions.
Despite the controversy surrounding some of the rides, supporters remembered Wells for his desire to create opportunities for young people and encourage them to make positive changes.
Friends and relatives described him as someone who regularly supported people in need and tried to make a difference in Liberty City.
His community work was particularly meaningful because Wells had turned his own life around after spending time in prison. He later focused on giving back and encouraging others to pursue a different path.
Beyond activism, he built a business with Winning and Won Turkey Legs, which became another part of his connection to the neighborhood.
Family and Community Members Sought Answers
Following Wells’ death, family members and supporters publicly mourned his loss and called for accountability.
His mother, Mary Brown, spoke about her son’s commitment to helping others and said she was proud of the work he had done in the community. Friends and fellow activists also gathered outside his restaurant to remember him.
In the weeks and months after the shooting, Wells’ death remained a painful subject for those who believed his efforts had made a difference in the lives of young people.
An arrest in the case now brings a new development to an investigation that had left his loved ones waiting for answers.
However, an arrest does not establish guilt. Further information about the allegations, potential charges and next steps in the legal process will be important as the case moves forward.
What Happens Next?
Police have identified Jenkins as the person arrested in connection with Wells’ killing. Additional details about the case, including the specific charges and any court proceedings, have not been established in the information available for this report.
The investigation and subsequent legal process will determine how the case proceeds.
For Wells’ family and the Liberty City community, the arrest represents a new development in their pursuit of answers after the loss of a man remembered for his work with young people, his business and his efforts to address gun violence.
His legacy remains closely connected to the community he sought to support, while those who knew him continue to look for accountability in the case.
