By Melissa Noel ·Updated July 29, 2024
People across the country came together on Sunday to honor Sonya Massey, a Black woman fatally shot by a white sheriff’s deputy in her Illinois home after she called for assistance. The incident has sparked widespread outrage.
The controversy escalated with the recent release of body camera footage showing the harrowing July 6 event. In response, activists declared Sunday, July 28, a National Day of Mourning for Massey, organizing gatherings in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, St. Louis, and her hometown of Springfield, Illinois.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 28:Demonstrators with signs protest the killing of Sonya Massey by a Springfield, Illinois sheriff’s deputy, in Washington Square Park on July 28, 2024 in New York City. Massey was shot at home in the head by Sean Grayson, a Sangamon County, Illinois deputy after she called the police to report a possible prowler. Grayson has been arrested, sparking protests around the country demanding justice for Massey’s death.(Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images)
About 350 people attended a rally at Comer Cox Park in Springfield, many dressed in purple, Massey’s favorite color. The group marched to the nearby Illinois Capitol Building, where Austin Randolph, president of the Springfield NAACP, condemned Massey’s death, stating there was “no excuse, no explanation, no reason” and urged the crowd to maintain focus as the deputy’s trial progresses, USA Today reports.
Dameon Johnson, a Springfield resident, shared that he did not know Massey personally but felt compelled to act upon learning of the National Day of Mourning organized by a group from New York City. Speaking to the crowd at Comer Cox Park, Johnson expressed, “All that I’ve read, all that I’ve seen, she seems like she’s my little sister, and I took personal attachment to this issue, to this tragedy. Look, this is ground zero. If you look around here, this is truly amazing.”
“This is not just for Sonya,” said Massey’s mother Donna. “This is for all of us. We still haven’t gotten justice and it’s time,” she told the crowd gathered at Comer Cox Park in her daughter’s honor, USA reports. Many attendees wore purple “Say Her Name: Sonya Massey” shirts.
Vigils and protests were also held in New York, Georgia, and Virginia. CBS News reported that hundreds rallied at Washington Square Park in New York City, calling for justice. “I’m just so sick and tired of this happening over and over and over again and nothing is being done about it,” Charlene Woodruff told the news station.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 28:Demonstrators with signs protest the killing of Sonya Massey by a Springfield, Illinois sheriff’s deputy, in Washington Square Park on July 28, 2024 in New York City. Massey was shot at home in the head by Sean Grayson, a Sangamon County, Illinois deputy after she called the police to report a possible prowler. Grayson has been arrested, sparking protests around the country demanding justice for Massey’s death.(Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images)
As ESSENCE previously reported, on July 17, Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean P. Grayson was fired and charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and official misconduct in Massey’s death. He has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bond.
The Massey family’s lawyer, Ben Crump, revealed that Massey had an encounter with police over a mental health issue the day before the shooting. Crump said Massey had driven herself to HSHS St. John’s Hospital seeking help but returned home later that day. An autopsy revealed she was killed by a bullet that entered under her left eye. “She needed a helping hand, not a bullet to the face,” Crump said.
The Illinois Fraternal Order of Police filed a grievance, stating Grayson was fired “without just cause.” The document seeks his reinstatement, payment of lost wages and benefits, and “any other appropriate relief.”
TOPICS: Illinois Police Brutality Sonya Massey
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