Ghanaian teenager fatally shot while walking to school in New York; grieving father raises concerns over alleged bullying as police hunt three suspects.
A 15-year-old Ghanaian teenager, Javits Frimpong, has been shot dead while walking to school in the Bronx, New York, leaving his father devastated and raising concerns about alleged bullying the teenager reportedly experienced before his death.
Javits 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 neighbourhood of the Bronx, according to reports citing the New York Police Department (NYPD).
Police officers rushed the teenager to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was initially reported to be in stable condition. He later died from his injuries.
His father, 60-year-old Thomas Frimpong, described the loss as unbearable, saying his son meant everything to him.
“It’s not easy for me. It’s not easy for me. He’s my everything. I’m here with him alone,” he said in an emotional interview with CBS News New York.
Javits reportedly moved from Ghana to the United States about a year ago to live with his father.
Father raises bullying concerns
Mr Frimpong said he learnt about the shooting from the principal of his son’s school, Dreamyard Preparatory.
He disclosed that the principal had contacted him several days earlier following an incident involving his son and two other students, who were reportedly suspended after a confrontation.
According to the father, Javits later told him that he had repeatedly experienced bullying, particularly during lunchtime at school.
“He said, ‘Dad, any time I am going to lunch, that guy keep on bullying me.’ He said, ‘I have been reporting him several times,’” Mr Frimpong recounted.
The father’s account has raised questions about whether the alleged bullying could be connected to the fatal shooting. However, authorities have not established a motive, and no confirmed link between the reported school incidents and the killing has been announced.
Police search for three suspects
Investigators are searching for three teenage boys, believed to be between 16 and 18 years old, in connection with the shooting.
The suspects were reportedly last seen wearing black clothing and blue surgical masks. As of Friday, October 30, police had not announced any arrests, and the circumstances leading to the attack remained unclear.
Mr Frimpong has appealed for those responsible to surrender to the police and face justice.
The killing has shocked residents and renewed concerns about violence affecting young people. For Javits’ family, the tragedy is the loss of a teenager whose life was cut short while on his way to school.
As investigations continue, questions remain about the circumstances of the shooting and whether any earlier warning signs could have helped prevent the tragedy.
