The father of Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman who was fatally shot by a sheriff’s deputy in Springfield, Illinois, is speaking up about his daughter’s passing and the transparency of the investigation. Recently unveiled bodycam footage depicts the fatal July altercation between Massey and Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson. Massey, a mother of two, dialed 911 to report a suspected prowler outside her residence.
Massey’s dad, James Wilburn, informed “CBS Mornings” that the family was not initially informed that their family member’s fatal shooting involved law enforcement. “We were under the impression that the intruder killed her or some other person from the street, and they just went in there and found her dead body,” Wilburn said, adding that rumors began to circulate that Massey’s killing was self-inflicted.
Although difficult to watch, Wilburn said he is thankful for the bodycam video that ensured transparency in his daughter’s death. “It’s probably the most horrible, heart-wrenching thing that we’ve ever seen in our lives, but if it were not for the bodycam footage, we would not have known that this occurred.”
Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Milhiser stated that Grayson failed to turn on his body camera until after he had already shot at Massey. The video that was made public was recorded by another deputy who was present with Grayson. Grayson was formally charged on July 17 when a grand jury indicted him. Subsequently, he was terminated from his position and is facing charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and official misconduct.
