Police handcuffs and criminal fingerprints card

JERSEY CITY, N.J. — A man wanted for a fatal December shooting in Jersey City has been arrested in Florida, authorities announced Wednesday.

Zafarri Francis, 26, was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Florida Fugitive Task Force in Ocala, Florida, and is being held at the Marion County Jail pending extradition to New Jersey. He faces charges including first-degree murder, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and receiving stolen property.

The charges stem from a December 8, 2024, shooting on Fairview Avenue between John F. Kennedy Boulevard and West Side Avenue. Officers responding around 11:20 p.m. found 34-year-old Dushawn Bell of Elizabeth suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to Jersey City Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at approximately 3:40 a.m. on December 9. The Regional Medical Examiner’s Office ruled his death a homicide.

Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez confirmed the arrest, stating that Francis will be extradited to face prosecution in New Jersey. The investigation remains ongoing.

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