On the evening of November 6, 2025, 61-year-old Ted Gilford Sr. was shot inside his apartment at the New Haven complex in South Tulsa during a confrontation that neighbors heard through the walls. A 911 call from the unit reported that his girlfriend had been shot in the back; when officers arrived they found both victims wounded and conscious. Both identified the shooter by name and description as Ted’s adult son, and witnesses said the son had long caused disturbances at the complex and often stayed in the area around 61st and Peoria.

Tulsa police located and arrested a man matching the description near the 6300 block of South Peoria Avenue after a helicopter team and K9s assisted. A handgun believed to be used in the shooting was recovered nearby. Ted was transported to a hospital but died of his injuries; his girlfriend survived and was reported in stable condition. Court records list the arrested man as 29-year-old Ted Jack Gilford Jr. He was booked on first-degree murder and related assault charges; the case was assigned CF-2025-4185 and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for early January 2026.

The investigation is focused on the son as the alleged shooter and no one else is believed to have been involved. Anyone who knew Ted Gilford Sr., his family, or who witnessed the events around the New Haven Apartments on November 6, 2025, is asked to come forward with information.