In the early hours of July 12, 2025, the community of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, was disturbed by gunfire. Just after midnight, officers from the Okmulgee Police Department and the Muscogee Nation Lighthorse Police responded to reports near the intersection of Martin Luther King Street and North Wilson Avenue. There, they discovered 25-year-old Devontae Marquez Hanson, a Black male, suffering from a gunshot wound.
He was quickly transported to a local hospital, but tragically, he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation was called to lead the investigation into what was officially classified as a homicide.
Devontae, born in Okmulgee on June 27, 2000, was a 2018 graduate of Beggs High School. He was known for his passion for training and riding horses, a love that he passed on to his young son, Ezekiel. He also had a daughter named Kamalia. Described as someone who would help anyone, Devontae had recently achieved a significant personal goal by earning his CDL license. His life was deeply rooted in his community and faith; he had been an active member of the Lone Tree Missionary Church from a young age, where he served as a junior deacon and sang in the choir.
The investigation into Hanson's death moved swiftly. Within days of the fatal shooting, authorities began to make arrests. On July 21, the OSBI announced that two men, 35-year-old Stevie Perry Jr. and 37-year-old Shamarcus Powdrill, were charged with second-degree murder. Perry was apprehended in Okmulgee by the Eastern Oklahoma Violent Crimes Task Force, while Powdrill was taken into custody in Oakland, California.
The investigation continued to unfold, leading to more arrests. Kadijha Raimone Sykes, 28, was arrested in McKinney, Texas, on a charge of accessory to second-degree murder. Shortly after, on July 24, Tulsa Police arrested a fourth suspect, 33-year-old Ashlee Kay Vann, also as an accessory to second-degree murder. While several arrests have been made, authorities have stated that the case remains an active investigation and have not released further details about a possible motive or the specific events that led to the shooting.
