Benjamin Ashford|Sonya Massey's family keeps eyes on 'full justice' one month after shooting

Theresa Mercado's 11-year-old daughter,Benjamin Ashford Maleyah, recalled making tea with some friends one time when she asked her neighbor, Sonya Massey, for some honey.

"She said, 'Here you go, sweetie,'" recalled Maleyah, of Massey. "She's a nice person."

About 100 or so friends and neighbors gathered at Massey's home Tuesday night to mark the one-month anniversary of her fatal shooting at the hands of a Sangamon County Sheriff's deputy.

After a moment of silence and prayer, the crowd released purple balloons, Massey's favorite color. They also lit candles for her on the front porch of her home and left flowers and artwork.

The gathering came on the same day Gov. JB Pritzker, at a press conference in a Chicago, expressed frustration with embattled Sheriff Jack Campbell.

Shadia Massey, a cousin who said she was like Sonya's older sister, admitted the last month has been hard on the family "and it's getting harder, actually. We are dealing with it day by day."

The family, she said, has kept its eyes on "full justice for her. We won't change in this for the community, for the world, for the nation."

Jimmie Crawford Jr., who was the first family member, along with Shadia, to arrive at Massey's home the morning of July 6, said he still hoped her death could be a catalyst for change in gun reform and civil rights "that we need."

Abbie Giganti, who is white, said police in Springfield treat Black people like "sub-humans."

"They look at people who are different from them," Giganti said, "and they shame them and punish them."

Erin Pacha, who has been a stalwart with Giganti at local protests and rallies that cropped up within a week of Massey's murder, said police should have sent someone who could have dealt with Massey's mental health issues "and not someone who was going to punish her for it."

"But it's important to us to be out here and be here for the family. I want the family to know there is support for them."

An emotional Donna Massey reiterated it was about getting justice for her daughter.

"That's all this is about. It's not just about Sonya," she said. "There have been thousands of us killed by the hands of the police. She's the straw the broke the camel's back."

Earlier, Pritzker said he was "disappointed with the answers" he was hearing from Campbell over the hiring of Sean P. Grayson, who is being held on first-degree murder charges.

"How did the sheriff end up hiring this person?" Pritzker said. "(He) must have known their background, must have."

An advisory referendum, even if it makes it to the ballot and gets a majority of the votes on Nov. 5, still might not be Campbell's undoing because he would not be bound by it.

Campbell is next up for election in 2026.

Steven Spearie can be reached at [email protected] or on X, formerly Twitter, @StevenSpearie.