‘Every Town Has Issues’: Wewoka Business Owner Says Recent Violence Doesn’t Define Her Community

Amid violence in the city of Wewoka being investigated by police, residents say recent incidents don't represent their community.

Thursday, November 2nd 2023, 9:59 pm

By: News 9, Jordan Fremstad

WEWOKA, Okla. -

Police arrested six people following a rash of gang-related violence in Wewoka. Investigators said they believe the shootings aren't random. The community wants everyone to know violence doesn't represent Wewoka.

Towns hidden from plain sight might feel like a mystery. However, Wewoka is a special place for those who live there. “It’s a very small town,” said Becky Maylen, co-owner of 3 Ladies Coffee and Gifts. “We’re doing alright. We have such a rich history.”

Maylen's Wewoka coffee shop has spent 16 years downtown inside a former drug store. “Wewoka’s been good to me,” Maylen said.

Maylen and her team do it all from catering and gifts to delivering flowers. Maylen said other coffee pails in comparison. “I don’t wanna use the competitor's name, but we can rival that big name,” she said.

However, it’s not the coffee that has awoken this town. “Every town, any size has issues,” Maylen said.

Wewoka’s problems have a history. Maylen said those issues go way back. “Paul Harvey called us little Chicago," Maylen said. “We’ve always had a bad reputation.”

Several shootings in recent months put this town back on the map. “It’s just sad that it’s come to the guns,” Maylen said.

One shooting at the town’s EZ Mart killed 21-year-old Quantae Smith. “It’s horrible when someone gets killed and that did happen,” Maylen said. “It’s horrible and I hate it because he was a young man.”

Thursday authorities announced six arrests in connection to various acts of violence. “Wewoka gets all the attention just for that,” Maylen said.

Maylen said her town is becoming visible time and time again for the wrong reasons. “Here we go again,” she said.

Maylen said it doesn’t represent Wewoka’s heart. “We do a lot of good things here too,” Maylen said.

While investigators do their job -- Maylen will continue hers. “We’ve got to go on and do the best with what we can with what we have,” Maylen said.

Maylen said she believes the positive light of Wewoka is no secret. “You take care of yourself the best you can and try to go on with life,” Maylen said.