Prayers For Sasha Johnson: Everything To Know About BLM Activist Shot In The Head In London

A vigil was being planned on Monday to offer prayers and demand justice for the shooting of a Black Lives Matter activist in London over the weekend.

Sasha Johnson, who is also a leader within the Taking the Initiative organization, was hospitalized after being shot in the head early Sunday morning in the Peckham neighborhood of southeast London, according to reports. The 27-year-old activist was in critical condition and no arrests had been made as of Monday morning.

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It was unclear who shot her and local police were asking for any witnesses to come forward, the Guardian reported. Police responded to reports of gunshots at around 3 a.m. Sunday.

Racists were reportedly rejoicing on social media at the news of Johnson’s shooting.

Johnson’s shooting was first announced by Taking the initiative in a Facebook post on Sunday morning. The group said Johnson, a mother of three, was shot “following numerous death threats.”

Read the group’s statement in its entirety below.

“It is with great sadness that we inform you that our own Sasha Johnson has sustained a gunshot wound to her head. She is currently hospitalised and in a critical condition. The incident happened in the early hours of this morning, following numerous death threats.

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.

Let’s all come together and pray for Sasha, pray for her recovery and show our support to her family and loved ones.”

 

Good Morning Britain, a TV show in the UK, quoted a person identified as Johnson’s friend saying in a news article Monday that the BLM leader “was not the intended target” of the shooting. Imarn Ayton said Johnson was at a party before she was shot and attributed the shooting to wanton gang violence.

“As far as I am aware… this incident is more related to rival gangs as opposed to her activism,”  Ayton said before adding later: “But I don’t believe she was the intended victim. This was not targeted to Sasha and it’s just unfortunate that her friends and family will have to witness this and go through it.”

However, London’s Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Inspector Jimi Tele said no one should jump to conclusions about who was behind the shooting until additional information was released.

“I would ask people to avoid speculating as to the motive or the circumstances behind it,” Tele said.

Taking the Initiative has planned a vigil to be held outside Kings College hospital in London for 3 p.m. local time.

“Let’s show our support and stand against senseless violence!” the post said.

While gun violence is commonplace in the United States, it is beyond rare in London. In fact, gun violence in England and Wales was falling late last year, when the most recent statistics were available.

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Prayers For Sasha Johnson: Everything To Know About BLM Activist Shot In The Head In London  was originally published on newsone.com