Sean Grayson, ex-deputy convicted of fatally shooting Sonya Massey, dies, attorney says - NBC News

Sean Grayson, the former Illinois sheriff's deputy convicted of fatally shooting Sonya Massey in 2024, has died at age 32, his attorney Daniel Fultz said, with his death occurring around noon on Aug. 23, 2026.
Grayson was six months into a 20-year sentence for second-degree murder; he had been diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer in 2023 that later progressed to Stage 4 and spread to his liver, lungs and rectum, though it was not immediately clear whether cancer caused his death.
He had been denied medical release by the Illinois Prisoner Review Board in July.
Grayson shot Massey, 36, after responding to her 911 call reporting a prowler shortly before 1 a.m. on July 6, 2024; he testified he perceived a threat after she picked up a pot of boiling water and said, "I rebuke you in the name of Jesus."
Body camera video showed Massey apologized and dropped to the floor, but Grayson fired three times, striking her; prosecutors noted her final words were "I'm sorry," and he declined to provide medical care before she was pronounced dead at St. John's Hospital in Springfield.
The shooting sparked protests and led to reforms, including the Sonya Massey Act requiring stricter background checks for law enforcement hires, which took effect at the start of the year, while Sangamon County agreed in early 2025 to a $10 million settlement with Massey's family.