The Arlington Police Department has made an arrest in connection to the murder of 20-year-old Zoin Hodges who was shot and killed near a car wash along Brown Boulevard on August 30, 2024.

Following a thorough investigation by multiple APD units, 21-year-old Sundall Barnes was arrested and booked into the Arlington City Jail on multiple charges, including one count of Murder. He has since been transferred to the Tarrant County Jail where he is currently being held.

As Homicide detectives began investigating the case, they received multiple tips that an individual called “Maxxo”, who was later identified as Mr. Barnes, was the shooter. They also learned that Mr. Barnes was the suspect in an unrelated theft case that occurred on August 13, 2024, in which he was captured on surveillance footage breaking into a vehicle and stealing a firearm. APD North District Geographic detectives investigating that particular incident obtained warrants for Mr. Barnes’ arrest on one count of Theft of Firearm and one count of Burglary of a Motor Vehicle.

On September 7, 2024, officers who are members of the APD Community Action Team were patrolling along Brown Blvd and made a traffic stop on a vehicle for a traffic violation. Mr. Barnes was a passenger in the vehicle. When the officers ran his name and confirmed that he had active warrants related to the theft case, he was taken into custody. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, the officers located the firearm that had been reported stolen.

Once Mr. Barnes was in custody, Homicide detectives attempted to interview him about the shooting, but he declined to speak with them and requested an attorney.

Detectives arranged to have the recovered weapon test-fired -- and to have the shell casings from that test-fire entered into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), a national database that helps law enforcement develop leads in cases by analyzing ballistics evidence. The shell casings from the test-fire were a match to shell casings recovered from the murder scene. With that information, detectives were then able to move forward with obtaining a warrant charging Mr. Barnes with Murder.

A motive for the shooting remains unclear, but investigators do not believe it was random. It appears Mr. Hodges was walking from an apartment complex to a nearby motel he was staying at when the shooting occurred.

ORIGINAL RELEASE

The Arlington Police Department is investigating an overnight shooting that resulted in the death of a young man.

On August 30, 2024, at approximately 1:20 a.m., officers responded to the 2500 block of Brown Boulevard after multiple 911 callers reported hearing gunshots nearby. Officers searched the area and found an adult male lying unresponsive on the sidewalk near a car wash. He had multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced deceased at the scene. The man, who appears to be in his 20’s, did not have any identification on him.

At this time, we have not located any witnesses to the shooting. It remains unclear why the man was in the area and what led up to the shooting. No arrests have been made. The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call Detective Dixon at (817) 459-5579. Tipsters can also remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers of Tarrant County at (817) 469-8477.

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office will release the man’s name once he has been positively identified and next of kin have been notified.