Ghanaian Teen, 15, Shot Dead on Way to School in New York: Mayor Says Trump Agreed to Grant His Mother a Visa
New York — Javits Frimpong, a 15-year-old immigrant from Ghana, was shot and killed on his way to school on Thursday, October 29, in the Claremont neighborhood of the Bronx, New York City, New York. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a post on X on Saturday, October 31, that he had just spoken by phone with President Donald Trump, and that Trump had agreed to grant a visa immediately to the teen's mother so she can travel to the United States to say goodbye to her son in person, according to The Associated Press. The White House did not immediately respond to an AP request to confirm that the administration would issue the visa, and it was not clear whether a visa had actually been issued.
According to the New York City Police Department (NYPD), Frimpong was shot in the abdomen shortly before 9:30 a.m. on October 29 near East 171st Street and Crotona Place. He was on his way to DreamYard Preparatory School, where he was a 10th-grade student. Responding officers drove him to St. Barnabas Hospital in their patrol car, where he was pronounced dead later that day.
Police said no arrests have been made and the killing remains under investigation. Detectives are searching for three male teenagers, believed to be 16 to 18 years old, who were seen fleeing in black clothing and blue surgical masks toward Fulton Avenue. Anyone with information can call the NYPD Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.
Frimpong arrived in the Bronx from Ghana about a year ago to live with his father, Thomas Frimpong. U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres of the Bronx wrote on X that the entire borough is mourning and that every child deserves to walk to school without fearing for their life. Thomas Frimpong told reporters that his son was a quiet teenager, and that the school principal had told him several days before the shooting that his son was being bullied by two students who had been suspended. The NYPD has not confirmed any link between the reported bullying and the shooting, and has not announced a motive.
"The murder of a child is a pain no parent should have to endure, let alone from thousands of miles away," Mamdani wrote. "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." Ghana's Foreign Minister Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa said in a post on X that Ghanaian officials in New York are coordinating with local authorities and that his ministry will work tirelessly with U.S. authorities to ensure justice is secured. Ghanaian media, citing Ablakwa, reported that Ghana's government will cover the mother's travel costs, assist with the visa process and contribute toward funeral expenses.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：纽约市布朗克斯区 Crotona Park（案发地 Crotona Place 附近，资料图）。摄影：PhillipC，CC BY 2.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons
