Influencer Sara Gilson was reportedly shot and killed by her estranged husband, Shawn Duffey, two weeks after she accused her former spouse of pedophilia.
Gilson and Duffey were found dead in their Oklahoma home on Thursday, July 23, according to Tulsa’s ABC affiliate. Per the local outlet, local police officers were called to the scene after a reported shooting left two people dead.
Upon their on-scene arrival, law enforcement officials pronounced Gilson and Duffey dead and interviewed a family member who was present at the time. The unidentified family member alleged that the separated couple died by murder-suicide. An investigation into the fatal incident is ongoing.
Just two weeks earlier, Gilson claimed via TikTok that her marriage was over and that Duffey was guilty of pedophilia. (Duffey never publicly addressed the accusations before his death.)
“Preparing for when Netflix drops a documentary about my soon-to-be ex-husband, who I just found out is a pedophile,” Gilson wrote over a July 11 TikTok video of herself sitting in a chair and pretending to get mic’ed up, following the viral social media trend.
Without further clarifying the accusations, Gilson captioned her post, “I wish I was joking.”
Gilson, who is survived by her two children from a previous relationship, filed for a protective order against Duffey last month. The Oklahoman reported that Duffey was immediately ordered out of their home and to stay 100 yards away from Gilson. The order was extended through August 24.
Gilson was a hairstylist with 38,000 TikTok followers at the time of publication, often posting about fashion and other lifestyle content.
In the weeks prior to her death, Gilson thanked her followers for their support amid her divorce.
“Thank you for the army. Your thoughts, prayers and gift cards have meant more than you know,” she wrote via TikTok on June 20. “While I’m grieving and trying to process the worst thing imaginable, I’m solely focused on my children and their well-being. Their safety and mental health is my only concern at this time.”
She added at the time, “We are not OK and I’m not sure I’ll ever be the same, but God has been so faithful in this process and I feel his presence in everything I do.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
