A 17-year-old boy has been charged with murder over the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Ghanaian student, Javits Frimpong, in the Bronx, New York.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) announced the development on Wednesday, November 11, following the suspect’s arrest in connection with the October 29 shooting.
Frimpong was reportedly shot while on his way to school. Police have not disclosed the identity of the suspect.
In a statement shared on social media, the NYPD said it would continue efforts to tackle violent crime, particularly cases involving young victims.
“The NYPD will be relentless in our efforts to get dangerous people out of our communities, especially when it involves the murder of a 15-year-old boy,” the department said.
The teenager’s death has also raised concerns about alleged bullying at DreamYard Preparatory School, where he was a student.
His family said he had experienced bullying before the shooting, while NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny previously confirmed that investigators were examining whether bullying played a role in the incident.
“We’re looking at the possibility that the child was being bullied at school,” Kenny said, adding that the police were working with the New York City Department of Education to establish the circumstances surrounding the killing.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Frimpong’s mother, Doris Gyamfi, appealed for justice for her son.
“I need justice for my child,” she said. “That’s all, I have only one child.”
His father, Thomas Frimpong, also recalled how excited his son had been about continuing his education in the United States after moving from Ghana.
“I brought Javits from Ghana to continue his education here in the United States… He was very, very, very excited,” he said.
Frimpong was shot in the stomach near Crotona Park on October 29. Police officers rushed him to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
The family’s lawyer, Ben Crump, called for those responsible for the killing to face the full weight of the law.
“We want these, apparently, kids who murdered Javits to be held fully accountable under the law, because that is equal justice,” Crump said.
Meanwhile, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani had earlier announced that US President Donald Trump agreed to grant Frimpong’s mother a visa to travel from Ghana to the United States for her son’s funeral.
Mamdani said the arrangement followed a conversation with Trump after the shooting, as Gyamfi was in Ghana when her son was killed.
A rally was also held in the Bronx on Saturday, attracting hundreds of people who gathered to mourn the teenager and call for unity in the community.
