Rally for Sonya Massey held in New York City

Hundreds gathered in Washington Square Park in New York City to pay tribute to Sonya Massey, the 36-year-old mother of two, who was fatally shot earlier this month by a sheriff's deputy inside her own Illinois home.

NJ Assemblyman Reginald W. Atkins Calls for Policing Reforms After Sonya Massey’s Tragic Death

New Jersey Assemblyman Reginald W. Atkins (D-Union) issued the following statement regarding the tragic death of Sonya Massey in Chicago, emphasizing the urgent need for policing reforms. Body camera footage shows Sean Grayson, a Sangamon County, Illinois, Sheriff’s Deputy, shooting Massey three times inside her home. Grayson has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, and official misconduct.

“Sonya Massey should be alive today. When she called for help earlier this month, an officer killed her instead of helping her. This all-too-frequent tragedy is robbing our communities of their future and the lives of people who should be here today. We must rethink our approach to policing, hold police accountable for excessive force, and invest in proactive, root-cause prevention strategies.”

“Our thoughts are with the communities whose calls for help are often met with violence. We have much work to do to ensure our justice system lives up to its name. In honor of Sonya’s memory and others, we must achieve meaningful reforms to advance the safety of all communities. We join in commending the swift action of the Illinois Attorney’s Office and call on Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.”

Statement from Vice President Kamala Harris on the killing Sonya Massey

Vice President Kamala Harris released the following statement on the shooting of Sonya Massey by an Illinois police officer after she called 911 to report a prowler:

Sonya Massey deserved to be safe. After she called the police for help, she was tragically killed in her own home at the hands of a responding officer sworn to protect and serve. Doug and I send strength and prayers to Sonya’s family and friends, and we join them in grieving her senseless death.

Our thoughts are also with the communities across our nation whose calls for help are often met with suspicion, distrust, and even violence. The disturbing footage released yesterday confirms what we know from the lived experiences of so many – we have much work to do to ensure that our justice system fully lives up to its name.

I join President Biden in commending the swift action of the State’s Attorney’s Office and in calling on Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, a bill that I coauthored in the Senate. In this moment, in honor of Sonya’s memory and the memory of so many more whose names we may never know, we must come together to achieve meaningful reforms that advance the safety of all communities.