On May 22, 2020, Dalton Whitlow, a 23-year-old male, was fatally shot in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The incident occurred at an Extended Stay hotel where he was residing with his girlfriend, Sha-Lisa Harlin, after their home had burned down. The chain of events leading to the shooting began when Harlin discovered that Whitlow had started a relationship with another woman.
Enraged by this discovery, Harlin, who was 39 at the time, armed herself with a.
25 caliber semi-automatic pistol and set out to find Whitlow and the other woman. Her search initially led her to the new woman's roommate, whom she confronted at gunpoint, demanding to know the couple's whereabouts. After an unsuccessful search at a nearby hotel, Harlin returned to the Extended Stay. There, she encountered the other woman and pointed the gun at her.
Whitlow arrived at the scene and positioned himself between Harlin and the other woman. During the tense confrontation, the gun was fired once, with the bullet hitting the ground. As Harlin continued her pursuit of the other woman, a second shot was fired. This time, the bullet struck Whitlow in the temple. He was transported to a hospital where he later died from his injuries.
Sha-Lisa Harlin remained at the scene until law enforcement and medics arrived, and she confessed to the shooting. Investigators recovered the firearm and spent casings at the location. It was later revealed that the magazine in Harlin's pistol was faulty and required her to physically hold it in place for the weapon to fire a second round. Harlin, who had a prior felony conviction, was prohibited from legally possessing a firearm. She subsequently pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of murder, assault, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
