“HE WAS JUST WALKING TO SCHOOL” — GHANAIAN TEENAGER, 15, FATALLY SHOT IN THE BRONX AS FATHER CLAIMS BULLYING MAY HAVE PLAYED A ROLE

Javits Frimpong had moved from Ghana to New York just a year earlier, hoping to build a better future. Now, his family is demanding answers as investigators search for those responsible for his dєatᩚh.

A 15-year-old boy who had moved to the United States from Ghana in search of a brighter future has been killed while walking to school in the Bronx, leaving his family devastated and the Ghanaian community demanding justice.

Javits Frimpong was on his way to school on the morning of Thursday, October 29, when he was shot near East 171st Street and Crotona Place, close to Crotona Park.

Police said the teenager suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen. He was rushed to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he later died.

But as his loved ones struggle to come to terms with the loss, serious questions remain about what happened that morning — including whether alleged bullying at school may have been connected to the attack.

A new life in America, cut tragically short

Javits had moved from Ghana to New York in 2025 to live with his father, Thomas Frimpong.

His mother remained in Ghana, while his father worked in New York to provide for the family and help his son build a future in America.

Thomas described Javits as a quiet, intelligent boy who generally kept to himself and rarely went out.

He also shared that his son had dreams for his future, including becoming a doctor.

For the family, moving to America was supposed to represent a new beginning — an opportunity for Javits to grow, study and pursue the life he wanted.

Instead, barely a year after arriving, that future was taken away.

Father says his son had repeatedly complained about bullying

In the days before the śh́óóting, Thomas said he had learned that his son was experiencing problems with other students at school.

According to the father, the school’s principal had informed him that two students had been involved in a confrontation with Javits and were suspended for a week.

Thomas also said his son had previously told him that a student repeatedly bothered him during lunchtime and that he had reported the behavior several times.

“He said, ‘Dad, anytime I am going to lunch, that guy keep on bullying me,’” Thomas recalled in an interview with CBS News New York.

The father believes the śh́óóting may have been connected to those earlier incidents.

However, authorities have not confirmed a link between the alleged bullying and the fatal attack. Police have not publicly established a motive, and the circumstances surrounding the śh́óóting remain under investigation.

The school and the New York City Department of Education were contacted by local news outlets for comment about the bullying allegations.

Surveillance footage shows teenager being chased

The śh́óóting happened at approximately 9:30 a.m., as Javits was making his way to school.

Surveillance footage reviewed by local news organizations reportedly shows a teenager running along the street while another person dressed in dark clothing follows him.

The footage then shows the person turning away, while Javits collapses farther down the block.

Investigators are searching for three teenage males believed to have fled the area after the śh́óóting. Reports describe them as wearing dark clothing and blue surgical masks.

As of the latest reports, no arrests had been announced, and police had not publicly identified a suspect or confirmed who was responsible.

The NYPD is continuing to investigate.

His father remembers the last words before school

Among the most painful details is the ordinary conversation Thomas remembers having with his son before they parted that morning.

He told Javits to make sure he arrived at school on time.

It was a simple reminder from a father to his child — the kind of everyday exchange that neither could have known would become their last.

When Thomas learned what had happened, he rushed to the hospital. But doctors could not save his son.

The grieving father has since urged anyone responsible to come forward and surrender to police.

He has also spoken about the difficulty of telling Javits’ mother, who was still in Ghana, that their son would not be coming home.

Ghanaian community gathers to demand justice

The teenager’s dєatᩚh has deeply affected residents in the Bronx and members of New York’s Ghanaian and wider West African communities.

On October 30, community members, religious leaders and local residents gathered for a vigil to remember Javits and pray for his family.

The gathering also became a call for greater protection for young people and stronger efforts to prevent bullying and violence.

Residents expressed concern that children should be able to walk to school without fear.

Some called for more after-school activities and youth programs, arguing that young people need safe spaces, guidance and support within their neighborhoods.

Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, also condemned the 𝘬iᩚlling and said the Ghanaian government would work with relevant authorities to pursue justice.

The tᩚraɢedy has drawn attention beyond the Bronx, raising concerns among families who have moved to the United States hoping their children will have safer opportunities and a better future.

A mother still in Ghana hopes to say goodbye

Javits’ dєatᩚh also left his mother facing an unimaginable situation: grieving her child from thousands of miles away.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he had spoken with President Donald Trump, who reportedly agreed to help secure a visa for Javits’ mother so she could travel to the United States and say goodbye to her son.

The White House had not immediately confirmed the reported arrangement when the Associated Press published its account.

For the family, the possibility of being reunited in the middle of such a tᩚraɢedy offers little comfort, but it could allow a mother to mourn her son beside the people who loved him.

Questions remain as the investigation continues

Javits Frimpong was 15 years old. He had moved across the Atlantic to begin a new chapter, attended school and, according to his father, dreamed of becoming a doctor.

Now, his family is left searching for answers.

Did the alleged bullying have anything to do with the śh́óóting? Could earlier warnings have revealed a risk that needed greater attention? And who was responsible for attacking a teenager on his way to school?

Those questions remain unanswered.

Police have not established a motive, and the allegations made by Javits’ father have not been confirmed as part of the investigation.

But one thing is clear to the people mourning him: a young boy who should have been thinking about his classes and his future will never get the chance to fulfill those dreams.

For his father, and for a community demanding justice, the search for answers is far from over.