Teen Arrested Over Killing of Ghanaian Schoolboy in New York
Police in New York have arrested a 17-year-old over the fatal shooting of Ghanaian student Javits Frimpong, 15, who was killed while walking to school.
The New York Police Department announced the arrest Wednesday, November 11, saying the teenager had been taken into custody and charged over the October shooting.
Authorities have withheld the suspect’s name because he is a minor. He also faces manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon charges, according to police.
Frimpong was shot in the abdomen on October 29 near East 171st Street in the Bronx while walking to school. He later died in hospital.
The teenager moved from Ghana to the United States about a year earlier to live with his father, Thomas Frimpong, and pursue better educational opportunities.
His father said Javits had complained about bullying at school and that two students were suspended over alleged harassment. Investigators have not confirmed any connection.
Police considered bullying and robbery as possible motives but have not established what led to the shooting. Investigators are pursuing others linked to the case.
The arrest came as Frimpong’s relatives, Ghanaian officials and civil rights advocates gathered in New York to demand answers and accountability over his killing.
At a news conference, his mother, Doris Adu Gyamfi, who travelled from Ghana, pleaded for justice and broke down while addressing those present.
Family representatives and lawyer Ben Crump welcomed the arrest but stressed that questions remain, including why the teenager was targeted and who else was involved.
The killing prompted protests and a candlelight vigil in the Bronx, where residents, classmates and Ghanaian community members called for justice and safer streets locally.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani contacted President Donald Trump to help secure a visa allowing Frimpong’s mother to travel to America to mourn her son.
The Associated Press reported investigators had considered several possible explanations for the attack, while police continued working to establish the circumstances surrounding the teenager’s death.
Frimpong’s family and Ghanaian community members continue seeking accountability as investigations proceed, with authorities yet to disclose a confirmed motive for the fatal shooting there.
