While the Taking the Initiative party said the incident unfolded after Johnson had received "numerous death threats", police said that at this point, "there is nothing to suggest that the woman who was shot was the subject of a targeted attack". They further said that they had seen no evidence to suggest that she had received "any credible threats against her prior to this incident". Meanwhile, a friend of Johnson's has told multiple British outlets that they do not believe the activist was the intended target of the shooting and that it was likely an incident involving rival gangs. In a statement, Detective Chief Inspector Jimi Tele urged residents to avoid speculation in the wake of the incident.