Peckham Black Lives Matter campaigner fighting for life after being shot in the head in Consort Road
Black Lives Matter activist Sasha Johnson is in a critical condition after sustaining a gunshot wound to her head following “numerous death threats as a result of her activism”, her political party said tonight.
The Taking the Initiative Party (TTIP) said in a statement Ms Johnson, a member of its executive, was shot in the head in the early hours of this morning – police have confirmed a shooting took places in Consort Road, Peckham.
Imarn Ayton, who met Ms Johnson during the Black Lives Matter protests last year, told BBC News that surgery in hospital “went well” and the mother-of-two was now with her parents in hospital.
“As far as we are aware, she was at a party,” she said.
“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.
“But I don’t believe she was the intended victim.”
A large white marquee was in the back garden where the party was held.
Friend Chantelle Lunt wrote on Instagram: “Sasha Johnson you are a panther and a warrior. If anyone can survive this, it’s you … please keep fighting, fight to live. We are praying that you pull through, come on girl. Your children need you, you need to keep fighting.”
The Metropolitan Police are appealing for information after it confirmed a woman in her 20s was shot in south-east London at 3am this morning.
The mother-of-two Oxford Brookes University graduate, who organised Black Lives Matter protests last summer, is said to be currently in intensive care and in a critical condition following the attack.
TTIP said Ms Johnson was shot after she received death threats as a result of her political activism.
Ms Johnson’s party said in its statement tonight: “It is with great sadness that we inform you that our own Sasha Johnson has been brutally attacked and sustained a gunshot wound to her head.
“She is currently in intensive care and in a critical condition. The attack happened in the early hours of this morning, following numerous death threats as a result of her activism.
“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 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. #prayforsashajohnson’.”
Police were called shortly before 3am on Sunday, 23 May to reports of gunshots in Consort Road, Peckham.
Officers, including firearms officers, and paramedics found a woman, thought to be in her 20s, suffering with a gunshot injury.
A Met statement confirmed: “The woman remains in hospital with life-threatening injuries.”
Detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command (Trident) are leading the investigation.
There is a significant police presence in the area as enquiries continue and a number of roads are currently closed.
A vigil for her was held at the bandstand behind the Kings College Hospital in Camberwell, where she is recovering, with Peckham MP Harriet Harman one of those attending.
One speaker said: “Sasha is one of the strongest women I have ever met. She goes up and down the country spreading what she believes in.”
Detective Chief Inspector Jimi Tele said: “We are all hoping that this young woman’s condition improves. Our investigation is in its early stages and urgent enquiries are under way to establish the circumstances.
“I would appeal to the residents of Consort Road and the surrounding area to check any doorbell or dashcam footage for any suspicious activity that may relate to this investigation.”
An anti-racism political party’s zoom meeting was hijacked by a group of bigots spewing racist slurs.
A group of racists infiltrated a TTIP zoom call on February 8 shortly after 8pm and launched a verbal onslaught against the political party. which aims to promote racial equality.
For a quarter of an hour the group of racist infiltrators subjected the audience to a stream of profanities; using the N word, displaying explicit videos while playing a cacophony of distorted sexual sound effects.
The organisers ejected the audience and then vetted them, scanning for infiltrators using Zooms virtual waiting room.
But the racist attackers, having concealed their identities by switching names with genuine participants, continued to harass the meeting through the chat function.
Ms Johnson said at the time: “Moments like this are an example of the racial hate that is embedded in the society that we live in.”
By the time all the attacker had been removed, half of the 80 strong audience had abandoned the call, one of a series of weekly free meetings it organises. That evening TTIP started to receive requests to be removed from their mailing list.
Anybody with information about the incident is asked to call police on 101 or tweet @MetCC quoting CAD 1172/23May. To remain anonymous contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.