Fargo police announce arrest of Javvon Allen in downtown killing of Azim Holmes

Fargo Police announced the arrest of Javvon Allen on probable cause in the Aug. 3, 2025 downtown shooting that killed Azim Holmes and injured at least two other people.

“Over the course of that morning, Fargo investigators responded to three separate homicide investigations,” Chief Travis Stfanos said at a news conference, adding that detectives and partner agencies had worked for nearly a year to follow every lead. “This arrest does not mean the investigation is over…we will continue to work with the Cass County State’s Attorney’s Office to move this case forward.”

Captain Matt Christensen, head of the department’s Criminal Investigations Division, said investigators identified Allen after additional interviews, renewed review of video evidence and search warrants for digital material. He said a warrant was issued after consultation with the Cass County State’s Attorney’s Office and that the U.S. Marshals Northstar Fugitive Task Force helped locate Allen at a Minneapolis residence on the afternoon of his arrest.

“We have made an arrest in the homicide of Azim Holmes, which occurred in downtown Fargo on August 3rd, 2025,” Christensen said. He said the arrest followed months of interviews, search warrants for digital evidence and coordination with regional partners and that charges filed include murder, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment for firing a weapon into a crowd outside a bar.

Officials said charges previously filed in December against a different suspect had been dismissed after additional interview and video review; that investigation continued and led detectives to identify Allen as a new suspect. Christensen stressed that the arrest is based on probable cause, not proof beyond a reasonable doubt: “Mr. Allen is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.”

Police described why the warrant and parts of the investigation were not public: investigators and prosecutors temporarily sealed records to allow a safe arrest and to avoid compromising the inquiry. Christensen said investigators believed Allen had left the Fargo area and worked with Minneapolis–Saint Paul partners and the U.S. Marshals to monitor locations before making the arrest without incident.

When asked whether investigators had recovered a murder weapon, Christensen said he did not believe the weapon had been recovered. He also said a recent water search at Bluemont Lakes was unrelated to the homicide investigation.

On procedural questions, officials said they believed the arrest warrant had been issued at the end of April but did not provide an exact date at the briefing. Christensen said Allen will first appear in a Minnesota court and that extradition to Fargo could take a few days, depending on court processes.

Officials repeatedly urged anyone with information to contact investigators. “We continue to support the family of Mr. Holmes during this profoundly difficult time,” Chief Stfanos said, and asked the public to keep the family in their thoughts as the case moves to the next stage.

The department said the investigation remains active; officials declined at the briefing to provide additional details about post-arrest interviews or whether the earlier December suspect named Allen.

Next steps: Allen is expected to appear in Minnesota court and, depending on that process, be transferred to Fargo to face the charges. The investigation and evidence development remain ongoing.