Teen Charged With Murder in Fatal Shooting of 15-Year-Old Ghanaian Immigrant in Bronx
A 17-year-old boy was arrested and charged with murder on Wednesday in connection with the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Javits Frimpong in the Bronx, according to the New York Police Department.
Detectives picked up the suspect on Wednesday morning and took him to the 42nd Precinct for questioning. The NYPD said that the department will remain relentless in community safety efforts, particularly when a 15-year-old boy is killed.
Earlier this morning, NYPD detectives arrested a 17-year-old male for the murder of 15-year-old Javits Frimpong on October 29, 2026 in the Bronx. He is being charged with murder. The NYPD will be relentless in our efforts to get dangerous people out of our communities,…
Javits Frimpong, an immigrant from Ghana, was shot in the stomach near Crotona Park on October 29 while on his way to school. Officers transported him to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said that the teenager dropped his backpack and was shot in the back.
“All indications are that this was a good kid,” Kenny said, adding that investigators have found nothing to indicate gang activity.
Investigators Look into Reported Bullying at DreamYard Preparatory School
Investigators are exploring whether bullying contributed to the incident. Family members stated at a Wednesday press conference that Javits had reported being bullied at DreamYard Preparatory School. Kenny confirmed that police are working with the New York City Public Schools Department of Education to verify those accounts. DreamYard Preparatory School did not immediately respond to requests for comment from ABC News.
Thomas Frimpong, the victim’s father, spoke emotionally at the Wednesday gathering after learning of the arrest.
“I brought Javits from Ghana to continue his education here in the United States… He was very, very, very excited,” Thomas Frimpong said.
The victim’s mother, Doris Gyamfi, traveled from Ghana to mourn her only child. “I need justice for my child,” Gyamfi said at the press conference. “That’s all, I have only one child.”
Attorney Ben Crump, representing the family, called for full accountability under 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.
President Trump Grants Emergency Visa for Javits’ Mother
President Donald Trump granted Javits’ mother an emergency visa to travel from Ghana for the funeral after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani discussed the matter by phone. Mamdani stated on X that the murder of a child is a pain no parent should endure from thousands of miles away.
Hundreds of people attended a rally in the Bronx on Saturday to honor Javits and discuss communal unity. Meanwhile, community members have maintained a memorial for the student in the Bronx.
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