A Ghanaian teenager shot dead in New York has been identified as 15-year-old Javits Frimpong, whose father says he had reported repeated bullying
A 15-year-old Ghanaian boy, Javits Frimpong, has been shot dead near his school in the Bronx borough of New York, United States, with his grieving father alleging that the teenager had complained about repeated bullying before the fatal attack.
Frimpong was shot in the abdomen shortly before 9:30am on Thursday, October 29, near East 171st Street and Crotona Place in the Claremont section of the Bronx, according to the New York Police Department.
CBS News reported that emergency responders took the teenager to hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Police are searching for three teenage suspects, believed to be between 16 and 18 years old.
Investigators said the suspects were last seen wearing black clothing and blue surgical masks.
Authorities have not publicly established a motive for the shooting.
Frimpong’s death has left his family devastated, particularly his father, Thomas Frimpong, who told CBS News that the teenager moved from Ghana to the United States about a year ago to live with him.
The father said he learnt about the shooting after the principal of his son’s school, Dreamyard Preparatory, contacted him.
He also raised concerns about what he described as a pattern of bullying involving another student.
According to Thomas, his son had previously been involved in a fight with two boys, who were suspended after the incident.
The father said his son later confided that another student continued to harass him during lunch breaks.
“Any time I am going to lunch, that guy keep on bullying me,” the teenager reportedly told his father.
Thomas said his son had complained about the alleged bullying several times before his death.
CBS News said it contacted Dreamyard Preparatory and the New York City Department of Education for comments on the father’s allegations, but neither had responded by the time of its report.
The allegations have raised questions about whether the teenager’s reported complaints were brought to the attention of school authorities and what action, if any, followed. However, no evidence has been made public establishing a connection between the alleged bullying and the shooting.
Describing his son as quiet, Thomas struggled to come to terms with the loss.
“My son is very quiet. My son didn’t talk. He don’t talk,” he said.
The grieving father also appealed to those responsible for the killing to surrender to the police, insisting that his son’s death should not go unpunished.
The New York Police Department has urged anyone with information about the shooting to contact its Crime Stoppers hotline as investigators continue their search for the suspects.
As the investigation continues, Frimpong’s family is left mourning a teenager whose move from Ghana to build a life with his father in the United States ended in a fatal act of violence.