A 17-year-old boy has reportedly been arrested in connection with the shooting death of 15-year-old Ghanaian teenager Javits Badu Nkansah Frimpong in the Bronx, New York.
The New York Daily News announced the arrest in a post on its Facebook page, providing a major development in the case that has drawn attention from Ghanaians in the United States and at home.
The suspect’s identity, the circumstances surrounding his arrest and the charges against him have not yet been independently confirmed.
Javits was shot on Thursday, October 29, 2026, while walking to DreamYard Preparatory School near East 171st Street and Crotona Place in the Claremont section of the Bronx.
Police said the shooting occurred shortly before 9:30 a.m. The teenager was hit in the abdomen and taken to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he later died.
Investigators initially reported that three masked individuals were involved in the attack and fled after the shooting. Surveillance footage reportedly captured one of the suspects chasing Javits before he was shot.
The arrest comes amid questions about the motive for the killing, including allegations that the teenager had been bullied by fellow students.
Javits’ father, Thomas Frimpong, previously said his son had complained about repeated harassment at school. He alleged that two students had confronted Javits shortly before the shooting and were later suspended.
Thomas said his son had told him that one of the students repeatedly bullied him during lunchtime, despite his reports of the incidents.
The father suspected that the shooting could have been connected to the alleged bullying.
However, police have not confirmed any link between the reported incidents and the teenager’s death.
New York Police Department Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said investigators were considering several possible motives, including robbery and the possibility that Javits had been mistaken for another person.
Kenny also said detectives were seeking information about the alleged bullying from the New York City Department of Education and were pursuing the legal processes required to obtain relevant school records.
Investigators have said they found no evidence that Javits was involved in gang activity.
The teenager moved from Ghana to the United States about a year before his death to join his father. He was a Grade 10 student at DreamYard Preparatory School and hoped to become a medical doctor.
His father described him as exceptionally intelligent, quiet and reserved, with a strong interest in education.
Javits’ mother, Doris Adu Gyamfi, was in Ghana when the shooting occurred. She later travelled to New York after securing an emergency visa to join her family and seek justice for her son.
The killing prompted a wave of tributes and demands for accountability from classmates and members of the Ghanaian community in New York.
Students at DreamYard Preparatory School staged a walkout in his honour, drawing attention to bullying and gun violence. Ghanaian residents and community leaders also organised vigils and demonstrations in the Bronx.
The family has engaged American civil rights lawyer Ben Crump to represent them. Crump has pledged to support their efforts to establish what happened and hold those responsible accountable.
Meanwhile, funeral arrangements for Javits have been scheduled for Friday, November 20, 2026, in New York. The family is yet to announce the specific venue and time.
