15-year-old Bronx student fatally shot on way to school, father believes bullying may be connected

Javits Frimpong moved to New York from Ghana just a year ago in search of a better life. His father says school officials recently informed him that two students had been suspended for bullying his son.

A Ghanaian teenager who moved to New York City in hopes of building a better future was fatally shot Thursday morning while reportedly walking to school in the Bronx. Now, his grieving father believes bullying may have played a role in his son’s death.

Javits Frimpong, 15, was shot in the stomach shortly before 9:30 a.m. near Fulton Avenue and East 171st Street, not far from Crotona Park, according to ABC7 New York.

The teenager was rushed to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

Police are searching for three teenagers who reportedly fled the scene wearing black sweatsuits and blue surgical masks. No arrests have been reported.

Javits’ father, Thomas Frimpong, told ABC7 New York that he believes the shooting may have been connected to bullying his son experienced at school.

According to the grieving father, just three days before the shooting, the school’s principal informed him that two students had been bullying Javits and had been suspended for a week.

Police have not confirmed a connection between the bullying allegations and the fatal shooting.

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Thomas Frimpong said he rushed to the hospital after receiving news that his son had been shot, only to learn that the teenager had died.

Javits had moved to New York from Ghana approximately a year earlier in search of better opportunities. His father described him as a quiet young man who generally kept to himself.

“My son was precious very clever,” Frimpong told ABC7 New York as he struggled to process the loss.

The teenager’s death has shaken residents in the Crotona Park neighborhood, where community members are expressing frustration over gun violence and calling for greater intervention to protect young people.

“Check your children, make sure that they not walking around with guns, listen to your children, get them some help,” one resident told the station.

Others called on city officials to expand opportunities for young people, including after-school programs and activities designed to keep teenagers engaged.

One resident specifically appealed to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, arguing that young people need more structured opportunities outside the classroom.

As the search for those responsible continues, neighbors are urging families and community leaders to take action to prevent another tragedy.

For Thomas Frimpong, the calls for change come amid an unimaginable loss. His son had come to America seeking a better life, only to have that future cut short.