A 15-year-old boy who moved from Ghana to New York about a year ago has been fatally shot in the Bronx, with police searching for three teenagers in connection with the killing.
The Ghanaian teen Bronx shooting happened shortly before 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 29, near East 171st Street and Crotona Place, close to Crotona Park.
Police identified the victim as Javits Frimpong. Officers found him with a gunshot wound to the abdomen and rushed him to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. No arrests had been made as of Thursday evening.
Investigators are looking for three people, believed to be teenagers, who were seen fleeing the area. Reports said they were dressed in black and wearing blue surgical masks.
Father Suspects Bullying Connection
Javits' father, Thomas Frimpong, believes the shooting may be connected to bullying his son had experienced at school, although police have not established a motive or confirmed any link.
Mr Frimpong said the principal of his son's school contacted him only days before the shooting about an incident involving two students accused of bullying Javits.
“They said that two boys had been suspended because my son always complained that they're bullying him,” he told News 12.
He said school officials had told him Javits was not the aggressor in the earlier confrontation.
“The principal told me Javits is innocent. Javits is innocent. He was defending himself,” he said, according to local reporting.
Teen Moved From Ghana a Year Ago
Mr Frimpong said he brought his son from Ghana about a year ago hoping to give him better opportunities in New York. Javits' mother remains in Ghana.
He described his son as quiet and intelligent. “My son was precious, very clever,” he said.
The father, who works as a taxi driver, said his final conversation with Javits that morning was a reminder to get to school on time.
Police have not publicly identified any suspects, and the investigation remains active.
The killing has unsettled residents around Crotona Park, with some calling for stronger youth programmes and greater parental involvement to curb violence.
For investigators, attention is now on identifying the three people seen leaving the area and determining what led to the shooting.
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