Teen Black Lives Matter Activist Found Dead, Had Tweeted About Sexual Assault

Oluwatoyin 'Toyin' Salau, a 19-year-old Black Lives Matter protester has passed away. Her body was recovered in Southeast Tallahassee, Florida on Saturday. The Tallahassee Police is investigating the case under homicide. On June 6, Salau had tweeted about being sexually assaulted. She was reported missing on the same day.

Salau’s body was found a few miles from the library where she was last seen.

Consequently, the police arrested a suspect, Aaron Glee Jr., 49. A Tallahassee Police Department spokesperson said any formal charges will be announced at the conclusion of the investigation.

The Tweet, The Disappearance and The Search

Salau posted a disturbing tweet about a man who had sexually assaulted her the day she disappeared. "Anyways I was molested in Tallahassee, Florida by a black man this morning at 5:30 on Richview and Park Ave," she wrote. She went on to describe her attack in a Twitter thread.

Mid 40's lives in a gray painted duplex apartment style house drives a white clean Silverado Chevrolet truck https://t.co/psDCtYva2n

— Oluwatoyin (@virgingrltoyin) June 6, 2020

Salau frequented protests as a Black Lives Matter speaker. Twitter trended with #JusticeForToyin after her disappearance. The hashtag called for her recovery after she went missing.  In response, the Tallahassee Police Department issued a statement calling for any information on her whereabouts. The search went on for a week before Salau’s body was found a few miles from the library where she was last seen.

Who cares for little Black girls, Black teens, Black women? Toyin deserved so much more. She fought for so much more for all of us. I can't shake it. I am her and she is me. - Gabrielle Union

Also Read: Sexual Abuse Survivors Tell Donald Trump #WhyIDidntReport

Reactions to Her Death

Since the discovery of Salau's body, the hashtags #JusticeForToyin and #RIPToyin has been trending on Twitter. Fellow Black Lives Matter activists have used Salau's death to highlight the treatment of African American women in the US. Additionally, the debate over the safety concerns of sexual assault victims who have spoken out has once again resurfaced. Some activists are holding the Tallahassee Police Department accountable for failing to protect Salau.

Also Read: #SayHerName Because Black Women’s Lives Matter Equally

American actress and activist Gabrielle Union tweeted: "Who cares for little Black girls, Black teens, Black women? Toyin deserved so much more. She fought for so much more for all of us. I can't shake it. I am her and she is me."

Dyuti Gupta is an intern with SheThePeople.TV.