OWASSO, Okla. — Police say an Owasso mother and social media influencer was shot and killed by her estranged husband one week ago, drawing national attention to Oklahoma's deadly domestic violence rankings and the gaps that leave survivors vulnerable even when they seek legal protection.
According to the Violence Policy Center, Oklahoma consistently ranks as one of the top states in the nation for women murdered by men.
"Over the past five to ten years, Oklahoma does rank somewhere in the top five. There have been years where we have ranked number one in domestic violence instances," Kedrick Nettleton, community engagement manager for The Spring, said.
Owasso police say Sara Gilson became one of those statistics when her estranged husband, Shawn Duffey, killed her before taking his own life. Court records show Gilson filed a protective order against Duffey in June.
Tracey Lyall, CEO of Domestic Violence Intervention Services, says protective orders are just the first step.
"Don't stay isolated. Reach out to your friends and family. Alert people around you to watch out for danger. Change your routes to work or the store. Extra locks on doors. Have somebody stay with you or go stay somewhere else," Lyall said.
Lyall says survivors need a safety plan in place before filing paperwork. That's where shelters like The Spring come in. The organization serves about 330 domestic violence survivors each year at an undisclosed location, free of charge.
"Ultimately a protective order is a piece of paper and often times that will not stop someone from reaching you. Yes, protective orders are very important, but often times, it's not enough," Nettleton said.
The Spring offers emergency shelter, transitional housing, and other support services.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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