Family of Sonya Massey Creates GoFundMe, Sangamon County Sheriff Issues Apology

The July 6 shooting of Sonya Massey, an unarmed Black woman who called 911 for help in her Springfield, Illinois home, has sparked outrage and demands for justice.

The Sangamon County Sheriff, Jack Campbell, took a step in acknowledging the killing and offered an apology to the community.

During a gathering at Union Baptist Church, Campbell faced a crowd of over 500 people, facilitated by the Community Relations Service of the Justice Department.

“I stand here today before you with arms wide open and I ask for your forgiveness,” Campbell said. “I ask Ms. Massey and her family for forgiveness. I offer up no excuses. What I do is offer our attempt to do better, to be better.”

The autopsy findings, released by Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon, confirm that Massey died from a gunshot wound to the head, with the bullet striking her just beneath her left eye.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Massey’s family, has denounced the killing as “senseless, unnecessary and excessive.”

According to the reports, Massey had called 911 to report a suspected prowler, and she struggled with mental illness.

The former sheriff’s deputy, Sean Grayson, who is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and official misconduct, claimed that he feared Massey would throw a pan of hot water at him. However, the body-worn camera footage shows that Massey was in a stooped position, saying “Sorry, sir, Sorry,” when Grayson fired the fatal shot.

The family of Massey has created a GoFundMe to raise funds for “mental health counseling and support, money for travel costs and money for household support as we miss work to pursue justice for Sonya Massey.”