HE WAS ONLY 15: JAVITS FRIMPONG’S FINAL MOMENTS CAPTURED ON CAMERA AS FATHER REVEALS SCHOOL BULLYING CONCERNS
The teenager had moved from Ghana to New York just a year earlier, dreaming of becoming a doctor. Now his grieving father is searching for answers after his son was shot while walking to school in the Bronx.
A 15-year-old boy was killed while walking to school in New York City, leaving his family devastated and raising painful questions about whether bullying at school may have played a role.
Javits Frimpong was shot in the abdomen shortly before 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 29, 2026, near East 171st Street and Crotona Place in the Claremont neighborhood of the Bronx, according to police.
He was rushed to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he later died.
Surveillance footage reportedly captured the teenager running along the street as another person dressed in black chased him. Javits managed to run for approximately one block before collapsing.
Police are searching for three teenage boys, believed to be between 16 and 18 years old. Investigators said the suspects were last seen wearing dark clothing and blue surgical masks. No arrests had been announced in the reports available at the time of writing. <Cite refs={[“turn543638search0″,”turn543638search2”]}/>
HIS FATHER SAYS HIS SON HAD REPORTED BULLYING
In the days before the śh́óóting, Javits had reportedly told his father that another student repeatedly bothered him during lunchtime at school.
His father, Thomas Frimpong, said the school principal contacted him approximately three days before the tᩚraɢedy and told him that two students had been suspended following an incident involving his son.
Thomas recalled that Javits had told him he had reported the bullying several times.
“He said, ‘Dad, any time I am going to lunch, that guy keep on bullying me,’” Thomas told CBS News New York.
The father also said school officials had told him Javits was not responsible for starting the confrontation.
A school bus aide separately told CBS that he was aware of at least two students being suspended for bullying Javits.
However, authorities have not confirmed that the school incidents were connected to the fatal śh́óóting. Investigators have not publicly established a motive.
HE HAD COME TO AMERICA WITH A DREAM
Javits had moved from Ghana to New York about a year before his dєatᩚh to reunite with his father and build a future in the United States.
Thomas described his son as quiet and intelligent, saying he had dreams of becoming a physician.
The teenager’s mother remained in Ghana, making the tᩚraɢedy even more painful for a family separated by thousands of miles.
Thomas was left remembering their final moments together and the ordinary school morning that became the last time he saw his son alive.
“He’s my everything,” the grieving father said as he spoke about the loss.
A MOTHER HOPES TO SAY GOODBYE
The tᩚraɢedy also created an urgent situation for Javits’ mother, who was still in Ghana and wanted to travel to New York to say goodbye to her son.
On October 31, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that President Donald Trump had agreed to grant her a visa so she could attend her son’s funeral.
The White House had not immediately confirmed the arrangement when the Associated Press reported the announcement.
POLICE CONTINUE SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS
The investigation into Javits’ 𝘬iᩚlling remains ongoing. Police have appealed to anyone with information to come forward.
Anyone who may have information can contact the NYPD Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). Tips can be submitted confidentially.
For Thomas Frimpong, the loss is immeasurable. His son had arrived in America with hopes for a new beginning, but his life was cut short on an ordinary walk to school.
A 15-year-old boy who dreamed of becoming a doctor will never get the chance to pursue that future.
And his family is still waiting for answers.
