A social media influencer was fatally shot by her estranged husband in a murder-suicide after she used a popular TikTok trend to publicly accuse him of pedophilia, according to police.
Sara Gilson, 43, was killed on July 23 when her husband, Jeremiah 'Shawn' Duffey, 48, broke into her home in Owasso, Oklahoma, and fatally shot her before turning the gun on himself. Police confirmed the incident was a murder-suicide.
The confrontation occurred weeks after Gilson posted a TikTok video on July 11, participating in a trend where users simulate a Netflix documentary interview. In her video, Gilson used the trend to allege her estranged husband was a pedophile, writing, "Preparing for when Netflix drops a documentary about my soon to be ex husband who I just found out is a pedophile." She added, "I wish I was joking." The video garnered over six million views.
Duffey was accused of pedophilia after allegedly being caught by another coach kissing and touching a 15-year-old girl he coached on a youth basketball team. This allegation was detailed in a protective order filed on June 10 by the girl's mother.
According to reports, Duffey was never arrested or charged in connection with the alleged incident involving the minor. Authorities received a report about the allegations, but it is unclear if Duffey was under investigation before his death.
Gilson had previously filed for protective orders against Duffey in 2021, but they were dismissed when she failed to appear in court. On June 10, the same day the protective order was filed by the girl's mother, Gilson also sought an emergency protective order against Duffey, alleging he possessed a gun, made suicide threats, and had gone into hiding. A judge granted this order, requiring Duffey to stay away from Gilson's home.
The protective order against Duffey was extended on June 23 and was set to remain in effect until August 24. The protective order filed by the schoolgirl's mother also named Duffey and alleged inappropriate behavior, including inviting the girl to his hotel room during a tournament and offering her money for her silence.
In the days following her viral TikTok post, Gilson shared two other videos on her social media. One featured her on a boat with a friend, captioned, "Everyone talks about romantic love, but no one talks about how female friendships literally save your life." Another clip, posted shortly before her death, showed her on a yacht with the caption, "May whatever the f*** that was never find me again."
Gilson, a mother of two, was described by loved ones in a GoFundMe campaign as an "incredible mom" whose "children were the center of her world." The fundraiser aims to support her two children following her "sudden and heartbreaking loss."