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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Erum Salam and agencies

Illinois deputy charged with murder after shooting a Black woman

A woman cries as she holds a white sign reading 'Say HER Name' at a protest
Mother of Sonya Massey mourns the loss of her daughter Sonya at a protest in Springfield, Illinois, on 12 July 2024. Photograph: Thomas J Turney/The State Journal-Register/Reuters

An Illinois sheriff’s deputy has been charged with murder after fatally shooting a Black woman who called 911 to report a possible prowler.

Sangamon county deputy Sean Grayson, who’s white, shot 36-year-old Sonya Massey in the face in her home in Springfield, Illinois – about 200 miles south of Chicago – after deputies responded to her 6 July call.

Prosecutors alleged that after Grayson, 30, allowed Massey to move a pot of water heating on the stove and set it on a counter. Grayson then “aggressively yelled” at Massey over the pot and pulled his 9mm pistol. Massey then put her hands in the air, declared “I’m sorry” and ducked for cover before being shot in the face.

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