President Donald Trump will grant an immediate visa to the mother of Javits Frimpong, a 15-year-old Ghanaian immigrant killed on Oct. 29, 2026, while walking to school in the Bronx. Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the decision Saturday after speaking with the president by phone.
Heartbreaking
, Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie called the violence, questioning the upbringing of the youth involved. Javits Frimpong had moved from Ghana to the U.S. exactly one year prior to join his father.
The murder of a child is a pain no parent should have to endure, let alone from thousands of miles away.Javits Frimpong’s mother deserves to say goodbye to her son in person. I just got off the phone with President Trump and he has agreed to grant her visa immediately. All of…
The shooting occurred shortly before 9:30 a.m. near East 171st Street and Crotona Place in the Claremont neighborhood. Javits was struck in the stomach and died at St. Barnabas Hospital.
NYPD Hunts Three Teenage Suspects
The NYPD is searching for three boys, believed to be between 16 and 18 years old. Security footage shows Javits sprinting through his neighborhood while being chased by a person dressed in all black; other angles show masked individuals in dark clothing fleeing after the gunfire.
Karolinne Guerrero, 18, reported hearing a gunshot and seeing the attack come from inside the park. A lady from a nearby homeless shelter called 911, according to a witness.
Father Links Killing to School Bullying
Thomas Frimpong believes the killing was tied to harassment at DreamYard Preparatory School. He told reporters his son was clever
and quiet
, but had complained to school officials about being disturbed by a classmate.
The school’s principal broke the news to Frimpong that Javits had been shot. Frimpong claimed the principal described his son as innocent, stating the boy had merely been defending himself.
The NYPD has declined to confirm if the reported bullying is linked to the shooting. The New York City Department of Education expressed condolences and offered counseling to students and staff.
Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States has called for an investigation and stated that justice must be served.
Community and Global Leaders Condemn Attack
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams offered a hug to a mourner at a street corner memorial on East 171st Street. Leandra Feliz, whose 15-year-old son, Junior Guzman, was killed in 2018 by 14 Trinitarios gang members who slashed his neck with machetes, attended a Friday vigil to show support for the Frimpong family. Feliz stated she wanted the family to know she was there because another 15-year-old child had been lost.
Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, condemned the attack in a Friday statement and pledged that those who did this do not get away with it. The Ghana diaspora public affairs collective, a US-based non-profit, released a statement noting that the family had come to America with hopes of security and a promising future, which has now been violently taken away
.
Investigators Seek Motive
Damon K. Jones, a retired law enforcement professional with 33 years of service and publisher of Black Westchester Magazine, questioned why the national NAACP and Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation had not issued verified public statements regarding the murder.
Government of Ghana’s statement on the tragic killing of Javits Frimpong in the Bronx, New York. I have spoken to the father of Javits, Mr. Thomas Frimpong and directly conveyed the condolences of the Government and people of Ghana. On my instructions, officials of our… pic.twitter.com/s1dzFxfqGC
Investigators have not established the motive or confirmed if Javits was the intended target. The NYPD continues to seek information via Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
The Frimpong family planned to hold their own vigil Saturday morning at 11:00 at the memorial site between Third and Fulton Avenues.
My heart breaks for the family of 15 year old Javits Frimpong, who died from gun violence Thursday. Another innocent life taken senselessly and another family devastated by the tragedy of gun violence. Enough is enough, and families deserve solutions.https://t.co/C1Ohdwhnt1
More on Javits Frimpong
No child should fear their walk to school.My heart is with the family and loved ones of the 15-year-old boy who was shot and killed in the Bronx today.This senseless gun violence must end. Now.https://t.co/Gh3Z9jC3kI
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