An Oklahoma TikTok influencer was shot dead by her estranged husband just days after she went viral accusing him of being a child molester, in a chilling murder-suicide that left their young son dialing 911.
Sara Gilson, 43, was found dead inside her Owasso home Thursday night after Jeremiah “Shawn” Duffey, 48, allegedly broke in, opened fire, and then turned the gun on himself, authorities said.
The horror came less than two weeks after Gilson posted a short TikTok following the popular “Netflix documentary” trend. Sitting nervously in front of the camera with shaking knees, she wrote: “Preparing for when Netflix drops a documentary about my soon-to-be ex-husband who I just found out is a pedophile.”The clip racked up millions of views.
Gilson had already taken legal steps to protect herself. On June 10, she secured an emergency protective order against Duffey after police informed her of allegations that the youth basketball coach had kissed and fondled a 15-year-old girl on his traveling team.
Court papers detailed claims that Duffey sent the teen inappropriate messages, invited her to his hotel room during a tournament, and offered her money “to keep her quiet.” Another coach reportedly caught him in the act.
The protective order ordered Duffey to stay at least 100 yards away from Gilson and her home. It didn’t stop him.
Owasso police responded to a frantic 911 call around 11:15 p.m. July 23. Dispatchers heard a woman screaming and crying in the background, followed by a loud bang. Moments later, Gilson’s minor son called from a neighbor’s house and reported that his stepfather had shot his mother.
Officers found both adults dead from gunshot wounds to the head. Investigators say it appears Duffey killed Gilson before taking his own life.
Gilson, a hairstylist and lifestyle content creator known online as @mrsgilson, had more than 30,000 TikTok followers. She was a mother of two. A GoFundMe has been launched to support her children.
Duffey, who went by “Duff Daddy” online, had no official ties to local public schools, police clarified. Federal authorities are reviewing the child-molestation allegations because Duffey was a member of the Osage Nation and the incident occurred in Indian Country.
Family members identified the pair. Gilson had previously sought protective orders against Duffey in 2021 that were later dismissed.
The case has sparked online outrage over the limits of restraining orders when dealing with accused predators, and the deadly risks of airing such allegations in public.
“These protective orders rarely do anything to protect victims,” one commenter wrote under the original report of the tragedy.
