A 17-year-old boy has been arrested after a teenager was fatally shot while walking to school in New York City last month, police announced Wednesday.
The teen suspect, who has not been publicly identified, faces a murder charge in the Oct. 29 death of 15-year-old Javits Frimpong, according to the New York City Police Department (NYPD).
“The NYPD will be relentless in our efforts to get dangerous people out of our communities, especially when it involves the murder of a 15-year-old boy,” the department wrote in a post on X.
Javits, a Ghanaian immigrant, was fatally shot in the stomach in the Bronx. His father believes the killing may be linked to ongoing bullying his son experienced at school.
Just two days before the tragedy, the school’s principal had called Thomas Frimpong to report that his son was being targeted and that two students had been suspended as a result.
The tragic killing sparked local protests and urgent calls from community members to end youth violence and bullying.
Last week, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny noted that investigators were exploring multiple angles.
“The alleged bullying is one aspect that we’re looking at, as well as some others,” Kenny told the New York Post.
“All three gave chase,” Kenny added. “And these cowards shot him in the back. If their intention was to rob him, he dropped his backpack.”
“As of right now, all indications are that he was trying to live the American dream,” the chief said. “He was trying to get ahead by going to school. We have nothing in our investigation to indicate he was involved in any gang activity. Seems like he was just a very good kid.”
The tragedy also prompted federal intervention to support the grieving family. President Donald Trump agreed to grant Javits’ mother an emergency visa so she could travel to the United States from Ghana to lay her son to rest.
“The murder of a child is a pain no parent should have to endure, let alone from thousands of miles away,” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani wrote in a Nov. 2 post on X.
“Javits Frimpong’s mother deserves to say goodbye to her son in person. I just got off the phone with President Trump, and he has agreed to grant her visa immediately.”