Vigil for Sonya Massey held in Wilmington

Vigil for Sonya Massey held in Wilmington

Vigil for Sonya Massey held in Wilmington

Vigil for Sonya Massey held in Wilmington

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – The death of a woman who was shot by a deputy in Illinois has shocked communities across the country.

Sonya Massey was shot and killed on July 6 after calling 911 to report a suspected prowler. She was 36-year-old.

Massey was shot moments after she went to her kitchen stove to turn off a pot of boiling water.

Video shows what appears to be now-former Deputy Sean Grayson drawing his gun and firing three shots, one of them hitting Massey in the face.

Grayson has been fired from the sheriff’s office and indicted on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct.

Black Lives Matter Wilmington organized a vigil for Massey to show they stand in solidarity with her family.

“In North Carolina had Sonya Massey been here the officer would have gotten away with it because they have a law they put in 2016 where the bodycam is not considered public record,” says Sonya Patrick, organizer of the vigil.

This incident is also drawing political attention, with President Biden pushing lawmakers to take another look at a 2021 bill.

“The president has pushed Congress to pass a George Floyd Justice and Policing Act and signed an executive order to make federal policing the gold standard of effectiveness and accountability,” says White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

The bill, named in the honor of George Floyd, seeks to prevent police misconduct. It was introduced in 2021, passing in the House but not the Senate.

Patrick says a phone call can help make a change in the system.

“Call your legislators that make decisions that impact our lives. They control this unjust system. So we have to put people in office that have some type of moral value for all people–not just a select few,” Patrick says.

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