A timeline of events from her death to her funeral
Protest calls for justice after Sonya Massey’s murder by police
On Wednesday, July 17, 2024, protesters gathered outside the NAACP building in Springfield demanding justice for the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey.
Before bodycam footage from the fatal shooting of Springfield woman Sonya Massey is released, here is a timeline of events surrounding the fatal shooting.
Timeline
Around 0:50 am, July 6: Two Sangamon County Sheriff’s officers, including defendant Sean P. Grayson, were called to a home in the 2800 block of Hoover Avenue in an unincorporated part of Woodside Township regarding a possible intruder. According to court documents, they made contact with 911 caller Sonya Massey, who appeared “calm, perhaps uncomfortable, not aggressive.”
While another officer was clearing the house, Grayson began “aggressively yelling” at Massey to put down a pot of boiling water that she had taken off the stove, even though he had given her permission to do so.
More: Crump: Body camera footage of Sonya Massey shooting will ‘shock the conscience of America’
Even though he was in another room, Grayson pulled out his gun and threatened to shoot Massey in the face. According to the documents, Massey raised his hands, said “I’m sorry” and took cover.
Grayson fired three shots, hitting Massey once in the face.
01:21 am, July 6: According to a Sangamon County press release, officials reported that this is when the shots were fired.
01:47 am, July 6: Massey is taken to the emergency room at HSHS St. John’s Hospital, where she is pronounced dead, according to Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon.
9:20 a.m., July 6: Sangamon County issues its first press release on the case. At this point, Sheriff Jack Campbell had already referred the case to the Illinois State Police.
8th of July: Allmon said autopsy results show Massey died from a single gunshot wound.
July 11: Civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump announced that he has been retained by the Massey family.
July 12: A two-hour protest is held outside the Sangamon County Building demanding the release of bodycam footage and transparency in the case. More protests are held on July 15 and 16.
17th July — Members of the Massey family watch the deputies’ body camera footage. A Sangamon County grand jury indicted Grayson on five counts, including three counts of first-degree murder. He is arrested and turns himself in to police.
Campbell said Grayson was fired as a deputy. It was announced that the body camera footage would be released on July 22. A protest drew about 200 supporters to the NAACP building in Springfield.
July 18: Grayson makes his first appearance in Sangamon County Court before Presiding Judge Ryan Cadagin. Grayson pleads not guilty to all five counts. Cadagin denied Grayson’s request for release under the Pre-Trial Fairness Act.
July 19: Massey’s funeral will be held at Ruby Funeral Services & Chapel. In his eulogy for Massey, Crump said the body camera footage would “shock the conscience of America” much like the images of Emmett Till, a teenager whose lynching in 1955 galvanized the civil rights movement.
2pm, July 22: Planned release of sheriff’s deputies’ bodycam footage.
3pm, July 22: Peace march planned in memory of Massey from Pleasant Grove Baptist Church to Comer Cox Park on South Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
CContact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; [email protected]; X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.
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