The death of influencer Sara Gilson has shocked those who knew her and followed her online. Gilson was fatally shot by her estranged husband, Jeremiah “Shawn” Duffey, in a tragic murder-suicide.
The incident has raised serious questions about the events that led to the shooting. It has also brought renewed attention to allegations that had been made against Duffey before the tragedy.
According to reports, Gilson had publicly accused Duffey of being a pedophile online. The accusation reportedly came weeks before her death. Duffey had also been wanted in connection with an allegation involving a juvenile on a team he coached.
Sara Gilson, 43, was found dead alongside hubby Jeremiah “Shawn” Duffey, 48, at her home in Owasso, Ok. late Thursday — with her son calling 911 to report “his stepfather had shot his mother,” according to KTUL, which did not say how old the child was, beyond that he is a minor.
The shocking murder-suicide came just two weeks after Gilson posted a TikTok following the trend of pretending to be filming a Netflix documentary, saying her one was “about my soon-to-be ex-husband who I just found out is a pedophile.”
“I wish I was joking,” she captioned the now-viral video — which was itself just a few weeks after she filed for a protective order against Duffey, saying he was suicidal and armed with a gun after he’d been accused of kissing and touching a 15-year-old girl on a basketball team
The son’s first 911 call Thursday appeared to come before Duffey shot his influencer ex in the head and then turned the gun on himself, the audio obtained by PEOPLE shows.
“I’m trying to reach him back, but I could hear a female in the background screaming and crying. Some sort of loud bang in the background,” the dispatcher is heard telling first responders in the audio recording, referring to the caller who reported the murder-suicide.
Moments later, the dispatcher referred to a “male that we were looking for a few weeks ago after he got caught kissing a juvenile,” and mentioned “a gun” being involved.
Authorities arrived just before 11:20 p.m. and found Gilson and Duffey dead with gunshot wounds to the head.
Authorities are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths. Duffey reportedly fatally shot Gilson before taking his own life. The tragedy has left friends, family, and followers struggling to understand how the situation reached such a devastating point.
Gilson filed for her emergency protective order against Duffey on July 10, alleging that he had a gun, had threatened suicide, and “went on the run,” the Oklahoman reported.
Duffey was immediately ordered to leave the family home and stay 100 yards away from Gilson at all times, according to court records viewed by PEOPLE.
Duffey, a youth basketball coach, was accused of kissing and touching a 15-year-old girl on his team by the player’s mother, according to court records obtained by the Oklahoman.
The girl told her mother that Duffey had also invited her to his hotel room during a tournament trip and offered her money “to keep her quiet,” according to the docs.
On June 10, the mother filed a protective order against Duffey on behalf of her daughter.
As authorities continue their investigation, the focus remains on understanding what happened and ensuring that the facts are established.
