Story at a glance
- Sasha Johnson is an activist and leader of the Taking the Initiative Party, seen as an extension of the Black Lives Matter movement in the United Kingdom.
- She was shot and taken to the hospital in critical condition on Sunday.
- Police are investigating the shooting, which is rare in the U.K., where gun laws are much stricter than the United States.
Activist and political leader Sasha Johnson is recovering after being shot in the head early Sunday near a house party in Southwark, a borough of London.
“This was a shocking incident that has left a young woman with very serious injuries. Our thoughts are with her family who are being provided with support at this terribly difficult time,” said Jimi Tele, chief inspector of the London Metropolitan Police, which received the call just before 3 a.m. on May 23.
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The 27-year-old was taken to a hospital in critical condition and is now recovering with her parents after an operation, according to the Taking the Initiative Party, which said Johnson had received “numerous death threats.”
London police, however, said, “while the investigation is at an early stage, there is nothing to suggest that the woman who was shot was the subject of a targeted attack or that she had received any credible threats against her prior to this incident.”
A friend also said she did not believe Johnson was the intended victim, according to The Associated Press.
“As far as we are aware, she was at a party,” she told the BBC, according to AP. “There was a rival gang that may have heard about someone being in that party that they didn’t feel quite comfortable with or trusted and so they resorted to driving past and shooting into the garden, and one of those shots obviously hit Sasha Johnson.”
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“Sasha has always been actively fighting for black people and the injustices that surround the black community, as well as being both a member of BLM and a member of Taking the Initiative Party’s Executive Leadership Committee. Sasha is also a mother of 3 and a strong, powerful voice for our people and our community,” said the TTIP in a post on Facebook. “Let’s all come together and pray for Sasha, pray for her recovery and show our support to her family and loved ones.”
Online, the shooting shocked many people in the U.K., where strict gun laws have historically kept gun crime at lower rates than in the United States. A vigil is scheduled for 3 p.m. local time (10 a.m. EDT) at Kings College Hospital.
Shocking to hear of the gun shot to the head of Sasha Johnson; All women should be safe on our streets.
Wishing her a full recovery. Sending love and solidarity to her family, friends and loved ones. There are still too many guns and violent weapons damaging too many lives #BLM
— Claudia Webbe MP (@ClaudiaWebbe) May 23, 2021
A small number of people have gathered for a vigil for activist Sasha Johnson in a park in south London. Sasha has undergone an operation after being shot in the head at a party last night, according to the Taking the Initiative Party, of which she is a leading member. pic.twitter.com/q3VFZYHJZJ
— Chi Chi Izundu (@blondeafro) May 24, 2021
“I recognise that this incident will have shocked those in the local community and further afield. I would ask people to avoid speculating as to the motive or the circumstances behind it,” said Tele in the release, asking the community to come forward with any information regarding the shooting. The Met’s Specialist Crime Command is investigating.
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