TikTok influencer Sara Gilson found dead in apparent murder-suicide

Owasso police found Sara Gilson, 43, and her estranged husband, Jeremiah Shawn Duffey, 48, dead of apparent gunshot wounds on Wednesday, July 23. Investigators said Duffey shot Gilson before dying by suicide.

Gilson, an Owasso mother and hairstylist, had posted a TikTok on July 11 accusing Duffey of pedophilia and molestation. The video spread quickly online and drew about 15 million views, turning a private domestic conflict into a highly public one a little over a month before her death.

Weeks before the shooting, Gilson had obtained an emergency protective order against Duffey. Owasso police later released a timeline linking the killing to a June child molestation complaint that was referred to federal authorities, and the earlier case involved a youth basketball coach. Police also said the protection order was allegedly violated, adding another layer to a case that moved from family court to criminal investigation.

One of Gilson's final TikTok posts showed her sitting in front of a blank wall, visibly nervous, with her hands clasped and knees shaking. The caption began, "Pre...", and the post came less than two weeks before she was found dead. After her death, friends and family described Gilson as a devoted mother and a great friend, while the sequence of posts, protective orders and police action left a stark record of warning signs that did not stop the violence.