The mother and sister of black equal rights activist Sasha Johnson who was shot in the head last summer have pledged to get justice and said she is a fighter who will recover to tell her own story.

Ms Johnson, who has two young sons, was hit by a bullet and left with catastrophic and permanent injuries when four masked men stormed into a party in Peckham, south-east London, in May 2021.

Her mother Ellet Dalling and sister Shakira Williams spoke to journalists at New Scotland Yard on Monday after the criminal case against four men accused of the shooting collapsed.

In an emotional interview, Ms Dalling said: “She is strong, she is a fighter and she will come and tell the story of who did this to her.”

Ms Johnson, 28, is a founding member of the Taking The Initiative Party and had been a prominent figure in the Black Lives Matter movement last summer, but there was no suggestion that the shooting was targeted.

At the Old Bailey last week, prosecutor Mark Heywood QC said a prosecution could not go ahead for reasons that could not be set out fully in open court.

The decision followed a rare notification hearing, held behind closed doors, which can be used in cases that involve evidence from informants or listening devices.

Her sister said that despite the case collapsing, the family are determined that they will get justice.

Ms Williams said: “One of the only things that’s kept us going is our faith. We were hurt, but we had to pull ourselves together because breaking now is not it. And we learned that it’s not over. This is a bump in the road.”

Her mother added: “We will get justice, and Sasha will come and let us get justice.”