Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black mother of two from Springfield, Illinois, was shot and killed on July 6, 2024, after calling 911 to report a suspected prowler outside her home in the 2800 block of Hoover Avenue. Bodycam footage shows deputies entering her house after she answered the door in a nightgown and welcomed them inside. While inside the kitchen, Massey picked up a pot that was overheating on the stove; during the interaction Deputy Sean Grayson aimed at her face and fired a fatal shot. The Sangamon County Coroner’s autopsy confirmed a gunshot wound to the head that fractured the skull, perforated the carotid artery, and caused bleeding in the brain; minor blunt force injuries to her right leg were also recorded.

The Illinois State Police opened an independent investigation that concluded Grayson’s use of deadly force was not justified. Grayson, a former Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy, was fired on July 17, 2024, and charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and official misconduct; he pleaded not guilty and is being held in the Sangamon County Jail awaiting trial. The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a separate investigation, and local officials and community members have called for reforms in the sheriff’s office amid longstanding misconduct concerns.

If anyone knew Sonya, her movements that night, or has information about the deputies’ response, please come forward.