The Oklahoma Chief Medical Examiner has ruled that influencer Sara Gilson, 43, died of a gunshot wound to the head, with the manner listed as homicide; her estranged husband, Jeremiah "Shawn" Duffey, 48, was ruled a suicide. Officers found both individuals with gunshot wounds in Gilson's Owasso home on July 23 after a child placed a 911 call. Gilson had filed an emergency protective order in June after alleging inappropriate contact between Duffey and a juvenile he coached; related reports were referred to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Sara Gilson’s Cause Of Death Confirmed: Gunshot Wound To Head In Murder-Suicide
Sara Gilson; Shawn Duffey.Credit: TikTok/@mrsgilson; TikTok/duffdaddy1
Officials have confirmed the cause of death for influencer Sara Gilson, who was shot and killed in an apparent murder-suicide at her home in Owasso, Oklahoma.
According to documents from the Oklahoma Chief Medical Examiner obtained by PEOPLE on Sept. 29, Gilson, 43, died of a gunshot wound to the head. The manner of her death is listed as homicide. Her estranged husband, Jeremiah "Shawn" Duffey, 48, was found dead at the scene and his death was ruled a suicide; his toxicology report was negative.
What Happened
Officers from the Owasso Police Department discovered both Gilson and Duffey with gunshot wounds inside Gilson's home at about 11:15 p.m. on July 23. A child who lived at the residence placed the 911 call that alerted authorities.
Sara Gilson.Credit: GoFundMe
Dispatch Audio
On dispatch audio obtained by PEOPLE, a 911 operator can be heard saying, "I could hear a female in the background screaming and crying," followed by a loud bang. A dispatcher later references a man the department had been looking for and mentions a gun.
Background And Legal Actions
In the weeks leading up to the shooting, Gilson publicly accused Duffey of inappropriate contact with a minor and sought legal protection. On June 10, she filed for an emergency protective order against Duffey; a judge ordered him to leave the home and stay at least 100 yards away from her. Court records show the protective order was later extended through Aug. 24.
On the same day, another woman filed a separate protective order on behalf of her 15-year-old daughter, a player on the youth basketball team Duffey coached. The Owasso Police Department said the teen and her mother filed a sex-crime report after another coach witnessed inappropriate conduct, intervened and informed the parent.
OPD noted similar reports involving the same juvenile had been made in multiple jurisdictions and across state lines prior to the June complaint. The department clarified that neither Duffey nor the team were affiliated with the Owasso Public School system; the team had been renting a school facility. The alleged offense described in OPD’s release — "Lewd Molestation of a Minor" — was forwarded to the U.S. Attorney's Office for review before the July shooting.
Shawn Duffey.Credit: Shawn Duffey/TikTok
Public Posts And Aftermath
Less than two weeks before her death, Gilson posted a TikTok accusing her soon-to-be ex-husband of being a pedophile, using a trend that mimics a Netflix documentary interview. "Preparing for when Netflix drops a documentary about my soon to be ex husband who I just found out is a pedophile," she wrote in the post, adding, "I wish I was joking."
The medical examiner's ruling, released more than two months after the incident, confirms the initial account from police and clarifies the official manners of death for both victims.
Resources
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or visit www.childhelp.org. For anyone experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit thehotline.org. Both hotlines are toll-free, confidential and available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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