‘He was Liberty City.’ Activist shot and killed while playing dominoes in Miami, cops say
Dwight C. Wells, a prominent local community activist, was gunned down in Miami while playing dominoes outside of his restaurant on Friday night, police said. Loved ones and friends began to rally on Saturday, sharing stories of his impact and legacy.
“He had the whole city in unity,” his longtime friend Quentin told the Miami Herald. “He was a father figure for so many different kids with [Wheels Up, Guns Down].”
Police said Wells, 40, was playing with two other men when a man walked up and shot him. The shooter ran off on foot, police said. Authorities have not released any descriptions of the shooter.
Around 9:20 p.m., Miami officers responded to the shooting call outside of Winning And Won Turkey Legs in Liberty City, 5090 NW 17th Ave, and found Wells with gunshot wounds.
Miami Fire Rescue took him to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he later died.
Loving father figure
Wells, a 2004 graduate of Miami Northwestern Senior High School, began his activist work after serving a 10-year prison sentence. Quentin stressed that Wells completely turned his life around and started a path of countless sacrifices to give back to his community.
As part of his efforts to ensure kids in his community had the support to find better paths in life, Wells co-organized a “Wheels up Guns Down” demonstration on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2023.
He hoped to legitimize the annual motorbike rides, which often meet criticism and harsh pushback from law enforcement.
Wells was also known for organizing clean-up efforts at cemeteries in historically Black neighborhoods, including Lincoln Memorial Park in Brownsville. The cemetery is the final resting place of many prominent Black activists and community leaders, such as Dana A. Dorsey, Miami’s first Black millionaire.
“To know Wells was to love him,” said Pastor Whipple of Mount Nebo Mission Baptist Church, where Wells’ sister attends.
He described Wells as a deeply spiritual man who was always looking for ways to help others, especially children. “He gave more than he ever gained,” Whipple said. “Just filled with positive energy and may his work speak for him. His life will continue to live on through so many people here in South Florida, and we love him dearly.”
Apart from community work, Wells delved into entrepreneurship when he opened Winning And Won Turkey Legs, a restaurant he was deeply proud of as he often promoted it.
“How is this possible for my brother to be shot dead in front of his own establishment that he worked hard to build up [with] blood sweat and tears,” said Quentin, with tears in his eyes.
His loved ones also quickly took to social media to express their grief.
“We really can’t comprehend it or wrap our mind around it at this moment,” Dwight’s aunt, Suzette Hester, said in a Facebook live hours after the fatal shooting. “[There’s] too much going on in this world, for us to be killing one another.”
Hester said the family is planning a vigil and balloon release in Wells’ honor.
“I’m deeply saddened by the passing of my friend Dwight Wells to call him amazing is an understatement, “ Shawn Johnson-Jones wrote in a Facebook post. “He was Liberty City. You always encouraged me to keep going and to not allow nobody to detour me from my destiny.”
Police ask that anyone with information about the shooting call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477. Tips can be anonymous.
This story was originally published October 11, 2025 at 10:14 AM.
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