Who Is Sasha Johnson? BLM Activist in Critical Condition After London Shooting

A prominent Black Lives Matter activist in the U.K. is in a critical condition in hospital after being shot in the head in London, her political party said.

Sasha Johnson was being treated in an intensive care unit after being shot in the early hours of Sunday morning "following numerous death threats as a result of her activism," the Taking The Initiative Party (TTIP) said on Instagram.

"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," the post said.

London's Metropolitan Police on Sunday issued an appeal for information after a 27-year-old woman was found with gunshot wounds in the Southwark neighborhood shortly before 3 a.m. on Sunday.

Police did not confirm the woman's identity, but said she was taken to a south London hospital where she remains in critical condition.

The police statement said detectives from the department's Specialist Crime Command (Trident) have been conducting urgent enquiries at the scene and "are pursuing a number of priority lines of enquiry."

It is believed the shooting occurred in the vicinity of a house where a party was taking place, police said.

The statement added that there was nothing to suggest that the shooting was a targeted attack or that the woman had received any credible threats against her prior to the shooting, but cautioned that the investigation was in the early stages.

Detective Chief Inspector Jimi Tele said: "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.

"A dedicated team of detectives is working tirelessly to identify the person or persons responsible for this shooting. They are making good progress but they need the public's help."

Tele added: "Finally, 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."

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson told Newsweek they had no further comment.

In a statement on Facebook, the TTIP added: "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,"

As well as being a mother, Johnson is a "a strong, powerful voice for our people and our community," it added. "Let's all come together and pray for Sasha, pray for her recovery and show our support to her family and loved ones." The party has been contacted for comment.

Black Lives Matter UK described Johnson was "a fearless political campaigner who was at the forefront of many BLM protests last summer."

In a series of tweets, BLM UK added: "While Sasha wasn't part of our organisation, she impressively founded a new Black led political party and was dedicated to resist anti-Black racism.

"Any attempt to intimidate or silence her, is an attack on all of us. Touch one, touch all. We pray that she will pull through this and those who threatened her life are held accountable. Our thoughts are with her children, family, and all impacted by this senseless attack."

Johnson graduated from university with a degree in social care and worked in activism and community support, according to the TTIP website.

"She has an immense passion for implementing change and justice and has been actively supporting the eradication of injustices in society by attending and leading protests," her page says.

"Although not everyone may agree with her methods, she is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in. She is also committed to feeding the homeless and has personally been involved in delivering food and groceries to families that are in need."

In August last year, Johnson helped organize the inaugural Million People March against systemic racism in London after protests triggered by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis spread to the U.K.

According to reports, she said she hoped the movement would "empower the community to strive for better".

"As a people, we're not going to stop until we have equal rights and justice," she said.

"Our message is listen to us, hear our words, we want sustainable and tangible change. We don't just want tokenistic promises, we don't want it to come from a hegemonic standpoint. We want it to be for the people."