Sara Gilson had an active protective order and had recently publicized allegations that her husband sexually abused a teenage girl.
OWASSO, Okla. — An Oklahoma social media influencer was fatally shot by her estranged husband before he died by suicide, police said, weeks after she obtained a protective order and posted a widely viewed TikTok video accusing him of sexually abusing a minor.
Sara Gilson, 43, and Jeremiah “Shawn” Duffey, 48, were found dead from gunshot wounds at Gilson’s home July 23. Owasso police said evidence indicated Duffey shot Gilson and then himself. A child who was at the home contacted emergency dispatchers during the attack, according to police and news reports.
The killing followed a series of court filings and police reports involving Duffey. Gilson filed for an emergency protective order June 10, stating that Duffey possessed a gun, had threatened suicide and had behaved in ways that made her fear for her safety. The order was active when she was killed and had been extended through Aug. 24.
Gilson had also posted a TikTok video July 11 referring to her estranged husband as a pedophile. The brief video used a popular social media format in which people pretend to prepare for an interview in a future documentary. It received millions of views after her death.
The accusation in Gilson’s video followed a police report involving a 15-year-old girl who played on a youth basketball team coached by Duffey. The girl’s mother alleged that Duffey kissed and inappropriately touched her daughter during a basketball event, according to court records and police statements cited by news organizations.
Police said another coach witnessed concerning conduct, intervened and notified the girl’s parents. Authorities also said reports of similar alleged behavior involving the teenager extended across more than one jurisdiction and state. The allegations had not been proven in court, and Duffey had not been convicted of a crime connected to them.
The teenager’s mother filed a separate protective order on her daughter’s behalf the same day Gilson sought protection. Because the reported conduct occurred in Indian Country and Duffey was a member of the Osage Nation, police referred the investigation to federal authorities, according to published reports. No criminal charge had been announced before Duffey’s death.
Gilson had previously sought protective orders against Duffey in 2021, though those cases were later dismissed. In her most recent filing, she described him as her soon-to-be former husband and said he had left after the allegations involving the teenager became known. Court records required him to remain away from Gilson while the order was in effect.
Friends and relatives remembered Gilson as a devoted mother, hairstylist and outgoing social media personality. Her friend Kelsi Lard told People that Gilson had spent her final day laughing and spending time with people close to her. Gilson’s family asked that she be remembered for her life and her commitment to her children rather than only for the circumstances of her death.
Police said the deaths were being investigated as a murder-suicide. Duffey’s death ends the possibility of a criminal prosecution against him, while questions remain about the handling and status of the separate sexual-abuse investigation.
Author note: Last updated July 27, 2026.