Victim's family advocates for Facebook Marketplace safety after shooting
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Jean Gragg died over the weekend after she was shot while accompanying her son during a watch sale arranged through Facebook Marketplace on June 10, according to family members and police.
Authorities say the prospective buyer, identified as John Harrison Ford, attempted to steal the watch during the transaction. The family describes that Ford pulled a handgun and shot Gragg after she intervened. He has since been charged with murder, attempted murder and armed robbery.
For Gragg's son, the tragedy reflects the selflessness that defined his mother.
“She saved me,” he said. “That’s what all moms would do. She always said she would do that for me.”
Michael Murray, Gragg’s fiancé, said her actions were consistent with the person he knew.
“His mom stepped in between him and pushed him and ran after him,” Murray said. “That is exactly what I would have expected of her. It’s unfortunate, but that is exactly what I know she would do.”
Murray said the loss has left a tremendous void for the family.
“That was my world,” he said. “I worked for her, my son, my daughter, and her, and she’s gone. I’m so lost.”
The family is encouraging people who use online marketplaces to take additional precautions, particularly when selling expensive items.
“We need to be checking who we’re selling things to,” Murray said. “Meet at the police station.”
The South Bend Police Department said crimes connected to online marketplace transactions are relatively uncommon but encourages residents to use designated safe exchange locations.
“We encourage people to do these types of transactions here, where it’s recorded and they can be in a safe environment during normal business hours,” Sgt. Tim Taylor of the department’s Property and Financial Crimes Detective Bureau said. “We even offer our lobby.”
Police said the department’s parking lot is monitored by 24-hour surveillance cameras and is available as a location for online transactions. Officials credit safe exchange zones with helping reduce crimes associated with online sales in recent years.
In addition to meeting in well-lit, monitored locations, safety experts recommend reviewing a buyer’s or seller’s profile history and bringing a friend or family member to transactions whenever possible.
For Murray, Gragg will be remembered for her compassion and optimism.
“She’s an amazing individual,” he said. “She was full of joy and sunshine and hope.”