Sara Gilson killed by estranged husband, Oklahoma police say

Sara Gilson killed in Oklahoma is now a domestic violence investigation that police say appears to be a murder-suicide, after the 43-year-old TikTok creator was fatally shot by her estranged husband weeks after seeking court protection from him.

The Owasso Police Department said Gilson was shot Thursday by Jeremiah Duffey, who used the name Shawn Duffey on social media. Officers later found both Gilson and Duffey dead from apparent gunshot wounds to the head, police said.

Gilson had more than 30,000 followers on TikTok. On July 11, she posted a video accusing Duffey of being a pedophile, writing that she was preparing for a future Netflix documentary about her “soon to be ex husband.” Her caption said, “I wish I was joking.”

What happened to Sara Gilson?

Police said officers were called to a residence in Collinsville at 11:16 p.m. Thursday after a 911 call during which dispatchers heard a woman screaming and then what sounded like a gunshot. Dispatchers tried to call back, but there was no answer, police said.

A short time later, a boy called 911 from a neighbor’s home and told authorities his stepfather had shot his mother, according to police. Responding officers found Gilson and Duffey dead inside the home.

Police said the case remains under investigation, but the deaths appear to be a murder-suicide. Gilson’s son was placed in protective custody and later released to a parent who was not involved in the incident, authorities said. Gilson is survived by a son and a daughter.

Why had Gilson sought a protective order?

Tulsa County court records show Gilson filed for and received an emergency protective order against Duffey on June 10, one day after police said they learned of an allegation involving a minor.

According to police, on June 9 a girl and one of her parents reported that Duffey, a coach for the girl’s traveling basketball team, had inappropriately touched her during an event at an elementary school earlier that evening. Police said another coach saw what happened, intervened right away and reported it to the girl’s parent.

Police also said similar alleged conduct involving the same juvenile player had been reported over a longer period, in several law enforcement jurisdictions and across multiple states.

Duffey left and had not been seen by police after that, according to the department. Police said officers then contacted Gilson and told her how to request an emergency protective order.

The order granted June 10 required Duffey to stay 100 yards away from Gilson and her home at all times, court records show. An attorney who had represented Duffey did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday, NBC News reported.

Why was the child molestation allegation sent to federal prosecutors?

Police said Duffey was a member of the Osage tribe and that the reported incident at the school happened on tribal land. Because of that, the Owasso Police Department said it submitted the case to the U.S. attorney’s office for review on a lewd molestation of a minor charge, ending the local department’s jurisdiction over that reported incident.

An online fundraiser created for Gilson’s children described her as an “incredible mom” and said her children were “the center of her world.”

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

This story draws on original reporting from NBC News.