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, confirming that the teenager was arrested in connection with the October 29 incident in which Frimpong was shot while on his way to school.
The identity of the suspect has not been released by the police.
In a statement posted on social media, the NYPD vowed to pursue those responsible for violent crimes, particularly those 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.
Frimpong’s killing has also raised questions about alleged bullying at DreamYard Preparatory School, where the teenager was a student. His family had previously claimed that he experienced bullying before his death.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny had earlier disclosed that investigators were exploring a possible link between bullying and the shooting.
“We’re looking at the possibility that the child was being bullied at school,” Kenny said, adding that the police were collaborating with the New York City Department of Education to establish what led to the incident.
Speaking 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 recounted the family’s hopes for the teenager after bringing him from Ghana to pursue his education in the United States.
“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. He was subsequently taken by police officers to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The family’s lawyer, Ben Crump, called for those responsible for the killing to be held accountable.
“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 disclosed that US President Donald Trump agreed to grant Frimpong’s mother a visa to attend her son’s funeral.
Gyamfi was in Ghana when the shooting occurred, prompting Mamdani to reach out to Trump over her travel arrangements following the teenager’s death.