On July 6, 2024, Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman, was shot and killed in her home by Sean Grayson, a white deputy of the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office in Woodside Township near Springfield, Illinois, United States.

The situation escalated quickly when a deputy asked Massey to remove a pot of boiling water from the stove.

Finding no evidence of any suspicious activity or persons, the officers approached Massey's front door and Grayson knocked multiple times to no avail.

[3] Inside the home, Grayson repeatedly asked Massey to provide her driver's license and discussed the vehicle parked in her driveway.

After around a minute and a half of searching, the deputies mention a pot of water boiling on Massey's stove and requested that she check on it, as they "don't need a fire while we're here.

"[6] After Massey picked up the pot of water and walked from her stove to her sink, the unidentified deputy and Grayson moved backwards.

After several seconds of shouting orders for Massey to drop the pot of water, Grayson fired three shots at her, fatally wounding her.

[9] CBS News reported that footage of the shooting showed that "Massey may be holding the pot of water above her head right before the shots are fired.

[20] In 2022, Grayson, then a deputy for the Logan County Sheriff's Office, was involved in a high-speed chase where he ignored orders from his superiors to terminate the pursuit.

[26] In the aftermath of the shooting, the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office opened an investigation of the incident, which was turned over to the Illinois State Police.

[6] Massey's family retained Ben Crump, a prominent civil rights attorney who has represented several other victims of high-profile instances of police brutality, including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

[38] President Joe Biden stated "Americans ... should be able to [call for help] without fearing for our lives," and that Massey "should be alive today.

[39] She also stated that Massey "deserved to be safe," and that "she was tragically killed in her own home at the hands of a responding officer sworn to protect and serve.

"[42] The City of Springfield announced an increased police presence in response to the killing and subsequent protests by Massey's family and supporters.

[45] The NAACP released a statement that blamed politicians for "empowering" Grayson and advocated for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

[46] Michael Arceneaux stated that Massey's killing was not surprising: "When don't we hear of a white officer shooting a black person?