Dwight Wells had spent years trying to steer young people away from the violence that had once shaped his own life.
Through his Miami restaurant and the Bikes Up, Guns Down movement, he worked to give children in his community alternatives to the streets. But on a night in October 2025, Wells was playing dominoes outside his business when a masked gunman walked up and shot him multiple times, killing him at 40.
More than a year later, police say the man accused of killing him was the brother of someone Wells had been convicted of murdering two decades earlier.
Jamar Lionel Jenkins, 39, was arrested Wednesday on a second-degree murder charge in connection with Wells’ death on Oct. 10, 2025, according to NBC6 Miami, citing an arrest report.
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Investigators believe lingering anger over Wells’ 2004 conviction in Anthony Jenkins’ death may have motivated the shooting. Anthony was Jenkins’ brother. The arrest has brought Wells’ family relief but also raised questions about a deadly cycle of violence. That cycle continued after Wells served his prison sentence and began helping others avoid a similar path.
Wells, known in the community as “Screamer,” was shot outside Winning and Won Turkey Legs on Northwest 17th Avenue in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood. According to investigators, the gunman approached Wells as he played dominoes outside the restaurant and fired several times before fleeing.
The suspect wore a face mask, hoodie and gloves, according to the arrest report. Investigators recovered five spent shell casings at the scene, the arrest warrant said. They linked the casings to a separate homicide. That investigation led to the arrest of Jenkins and his brother for unlawful discharge of a firearm.
Detectives later learned that Wells had been convicted in Anthony Jenkins’ 2004 murder. He received a 10-year prison sentence and was released on Oct. 1, 2013, records showed.
A family member told investigators that Jenkins remained upset with Wells over his brother’s death, according to the warrant. When detectives interviewed Jenkins in February, however, he denied knowing that Wells had been convicted in the killing.
Jenkins was booked into jail and remained behind bars without bond Thursday, records showed.
The case has drawn attention to the complicated history behind Wells’ death. Social media users offered sharply different reactions to an old grievance’s apparent role.
Some voices on Instagram framed the arrest as evidence that past violence can eventually catch up. “Revenge doesn’t have a date.”
Others responded with a religious appeal against taking another person’s life. “Thy shall not kill.”
A third reaction invoked the idea that wrongdoing eventually carries consequences, reflecting the belief that the killing may have been motivated by retaliation. “Karma doesn’t forgive or give second chances.”
But others cautioned against treating the arrest as a victory when two families have suffered the loss of loved ones. “This is not justice 2 families have lost.”
For Wells’ mother, Mary Brown, the arrest brought a measure of relief after months of waiting for answers.
“Thank you God! Thank you God!!! We got the victory, Screamer got justice!” Brown said Thursday. “My thought on that is God took care of this killer and brought him out and he’s gonna take care of that revenge thing too.”
Brown also described the emotional toll of losing her son and the sense of renewal she felt after learning of the arrest.
“I feel like I got life again, I feel reborn again,” she said.
Wells’ killing had shaken a community where he was known not only as a restaurant owner but also as an advocate for young people. His aunt told NBC6 that he started the Bikes Up, Guns Down movement to help children in the inner city stay focused and avoid trouble.
His girlfriend, Lulu, who said she was sitting beside Wells when the masked gunman approached, remembered him as someone who regularly helped others.
“Dwight was a good person,” she said, according to NBC6. “He gave, I see him gave to a lot of people, built a lot of people brands. People respect him in this community.”
Wells’ death also affected local law enforcement, which had worked with him on efforts to reduce violence.
“This doesn’t only impact the family, but this impacts the community because it was a person that was working with law enforcement for the betterment to bring awareness, but to also bring levels of violence down,” Miami Police Chief Edwin Lopez said.
Although the arrest has advanced the investigation, Wells’ family is now focused on preserving what he built. Relatives plan to hold community events in his honor and hope to reopen his restaurant.
For Brown, the case has offered some closure, but the loss remains. Her son had spent years trying to help young people avoid the kind of violence that had marked his own past. Now, his family hopes his work will continue long after his death.
