MMCP: The Life and Loss of Ethan Gentry

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — A family feud that began in the hallways of Tahlequah High School has led to federal murder charges against three members of the Vann family.

Ethan Gentry

According to a federal probable cause affidavit, the events trace back to 2022, when then-student Jermyn Vann, Jr. was in conflict with another student over a girl. The dispute escalated when Vann, Jr. allegedly made inflammatory comments about the other student’s deceased relative. That prompted the student’s older brother, 18-year-old Ethan Joe Gentry, to step in.

School officials had investigated rumors that Vann, Jr. was making violent threats, including statements such as “I got a plan to kill him.” Records show he was suspended for 25 days after punching the student during the feud.

On September 5, 2022, the conflict turned deadly. After heated text messages, Ethan and his family drove to the Vann home so the two boys could fight. According to investigators, the Gentry family was unarmed. Vann, Jr. and his mother, Billie Vann, allegedly emerged from the home with guns. Though the planned fight was later relocated to a convenience store, Vann, Jr. did not appear.

Instead, the affidavit states, the Vann family — Jermyn Jr., Jermyn Sr., and Billie — along with a teenage girl, drove to the Gentry residence. Armed with guns and a stun gun, the Vanns confronted the family. Witnesses told investigators that Billie Vann fired a gun into the air, threatening to shoot. Vann, Jr. allegedly fired into the group, striking Ethan three times. Ethan’s mother and sister were also wounded but survived.

Officers recovered multiple firearms and shell casings at the scene. Initial charges filed in Cherokee Nation Court in September 2022 were dismissed the following month while federal prosecutors reviewed the case. On September 18, 2025, indictments were filed in federal court against Jermyn Vann, Jr., his father Jermyn Vann, Sr., and his mother Billie Vann. The case is pending. These are charges, not convictions.

Remembering Ethan

Beyond the violence that ended his life, Ethan Gentry is remembered as a son, brother, athlete, and friend.

Born on September 25, 2003, Ethan was raised in Tahlequah with his large, close-knit family. He attended Eufaula Boarding School, Grandview, and Tahlequah High School, where he played football, baseball, and basketball. Known for his wide grin and humor, he was a young man who lifted the spirits of those around him.

Ethan worked for the City of Tahlequah’s Sanitation Department, saving money for new projects and greeting people with a smile. He loved riding his motorcycle, fishing, gaming with friends, and spending time with his high school sweetheart, Kianna Shelton.

Above all, Ethan was a family man, always ready to spend time with his brothers, sisters, and beloved dog, Max. His family remembers him as a “Mama’s boy” who loved music, especially Aaron May, and who never missed a chance to make others laugh.

Ethan left this world on September 5, 2022, at only 18 years old. He joins his great-grandfather, Robert Mouse; his grandfather, Bobby Mouse; and his mother, Jackie Smith, who passed in 2019.

Why This Story Matters

The MMCP project exists to tell the stories of Cherokee citizens like Ethan — to remember their lives, to document the failures and violence that cut them short, and to call for accountability and justice. While the courts will determine guilt or innocence, Ethan’s life mattered, and his story deserves to be told.