For Donna Murray, it’s been 929 excruciating days since her son was fatally shot by Elk Grove Village police.
The family’s attorneys announced Wednesday morning that they had reached a $10.5 million settlement with Elk Grove Village over the 2023 shooting death of Jack Murray.
But his mom said at a downtown news conference that no amount of money could replace her son. She called him a “loving” and “caring” person who had the “best smile” and “most loving hugs.”
“We are truly fractured,” she said, between tears. “We are broken, and that can never be fixed.”
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The 24-year-old was shot and killed on Dec. 1, 2023, near his family home in the 200 block of Fern Drive. Several officers confronted Murray, whose family has said was experiencing mental distress, after a neighbor reported seeing him leaving the house with a knife. Murray had also called 911.
The wrongful death lawsuit, filed against the village and five unnamed police officers in Cook County Circuit Court in 2024, alleged that officers didn’t use proper de-escalation techniques or provide mental health assistance, ultimately leading to Murray’s death.
At an Elk Grove Village Board meeting Tuesday, Mayor Craig Johnson said he is “beyond disappointed with the outcome.” He said the northwest suburb’s insurance providers insisted they settle, and that the insurers will be footing the bill not taxpayers.
“The insurance company ultimatum left us with no prudent choice but to settle,” he said. “By avoiding an unpredictable trial, we are protecting Elk residents from additional financial burden, which could have been brought upon us by a Cook County jury.”
Johnson said he commends the officers for following “the appropriate protocols” during a “tense and difficult situation.” He cited the Cook County state’s attorney’s office finding insufficient evidence to support criminal charges. The finding, which said the use of deadly force was “objectively reasonable,” didn’t limit or make an opinion on a civil action, however.
“In this village, we back our blue 1,000%,” Johnson said. “Officers were exonerated and that needs to be remembered.”
Johnson also said he’s praying for Murray’s family, calling it a “sad and tragic incident.”
The family’s attorney, Antonio Romanucci, said Johnson’s statement was “appalling” and “tone deaf.” He said Johnson was offering “more excuses” about Murray’s death.
“By Johnson saying that he’s disappointed by the settlement, say that to (the family’s) face,” Romanucci said. “You tell them directly that you’re disappointed by a settlement to give something back to this family for the killing of their son by Elk Grove Village police.”
Romanucci also said the lesson should be that a “mental health crisis should never be a death sentence.” He said no officer was disciplined for Murray’s death.
He added that the settlement is the largest reported in Illinois history for a police shooting in which the person killed wasn’t a bystander.
“What concerns me are the words of the mayor (Tuesday) night, condoning and endorsing and backing the blue for this killing in the face of a $10.5 million settlement,” he said. “Not understanding the law and why Jack should not have died, but rather been in treatment today.”
Johnson told the Tribune in a statement that he “stands by the facts” that he shared Tuesday.
Romanucci has previously said Murray was “clearly in a diminished or impaired mental state” on the night of his death, slurring his words and stumbling. He said Elk Grove Village police had helped him with mental health episodes repeatedly in the past.
Partial body camera footage and partial 911 tapes released by the police showed Murray calling 911 and telling the dispatcher that someone was acting erratically with a knife, then identifying himself as the armed individual. He also said he planned to “hurt someone.” Text on the footage said officers deployed a Taser twice on Murray before firing several shots as he approached them holding the knife.
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Attorney Joshua Levin alleged officers “disregarded their policy and their training” by not contacting social workers and not using a beanbag shotgun, a less-lethal weapon that one officer was carrying.
“The officers never even warned Jack before using deadly force against him, even though that is required under Illinois law,” Levin said. “And again, the officers admitted in their depositions they had time.”
An officer also said he had drawn a “line in the sand” in response to a question about why he didn’t step back or put barriers between himself and Murray, Levin added.
“But it was an invisible line, because no officer communicated it to Jack,” Levin said.
Donna Murray said she hopes her son isn’t remembered by the footage the village released but by his “true character.” She said he was “extremely smart” and an “amazing, protective brother.”
Dozens of Murray’s friends attended the news conference, wearing white T-shirts that said “Justice for Jack.”
His older sister, Shannon Murray, said her brother was warm and showed up for his friends and family when it mattered most.
“We all struggle in some form throughout life, and unfortunately, Jack’s struggles were heavier and more consuming than many could ever understand,” she said. “But that will never define who he truly was.”
The loss of her brother still feels “catastrophically unreal,” she said.
“No amount of reasoning will ever make (his) absence feel acceptable,” she added.