The ex-Illinois sheriff’s deputy who fatally shot Sonya Massey, 36, a Black woman who called 911 to report a possible prowler outside her Springfield home in July 2024, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Thursday. Sean Grayson, 31, who is white, received the maximum possible sentence after he was convicted of second-degree murder in October. The former sheriff’s deputy was initially charged with three counts of first-degree murder, but a jury convicted him of the lesser charge. On July 6, 2024, Grayson and another sheriff’s deputy, who was not charged, arrived at Massey’s residence after she dialed 911. Massey, a single mother who struggled with mental health issues, appeared confused and grabbed a pot of “hot, steaming water” that Grayson had asked the other deputy to move. Grayson shot Massey, hitting her in the face, after she dropped the pot and picked it back up again. During the sentencing, Grayson apologized for his actions, saying he wished he could spare Massey’s family the pain he had caused. “I made a lot of mistakes that night. There were points when I should’ve acted, and I didn’t,” he said. “I made terrible decisions that night. I’m sorry.”
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