Ghanaian Teenager Shot Dead While Walking To School In New York

A 15-year-old Ghanaian boy who moved to the United States in search of a better future has been shot dead while walking to school in the Bronx, New York. Javits Frimpong was shot in the abdomen on Thursday, October 29, 2026, and later died at St Barnabas Hospital. His father, Thomas Frimpong, a 60-year-old taxi driver, says he brought his son from Ghana to America just a year earlier to give him better opportunities.

Javits was a tenth-grade student at DreamYard Preparatory School and dreamed of becoming a doctor. His father described him as quiet, intelligent and dedicated to his education. “He's my everything,” he told reporters, recalling how his son would wake up every morning to open the door for him before he left for work. “My son was precious, very clever,” he said.

The grieving father believes bullying at school may be connected to his son's death. He claims Javits had repeatedly complained about another student harassing him and that the school contacted him just days before the shooting following a fight involving his son. However, police have not established a motive or confirmed any connection between the reported bullying and the killing. Investigators are searching for three teenage suspects who reportedly fled the scene.

The tragedy has sparked mourning in New York and Ghana, with neighbours leaving candles at the scene and the family demanding justice. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has also said arrangements were being made to help Javits' mother travel from Ghana to attend her son's farewell. For a father who spent years building a life in America before bringing his son to join him, the dream of giving his child a better future has ended in tragedy.