Police said the 17-year-old suspect faces murder, manslaughter and weapons charges in the killing of the 15-year-old Bronx student.
NEW YORK CITY, NY — A 17-year-old boy has been charged with murder in the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Javits Frimpong, a Ghanaian immigrant who was attacked while walking to school in the Bronx last month, New York City police said Wednesday.
The teenager, whose name has not been released because of his age, was arrested Wednesday in connection with Frimpong’s Oct. 29 death. Police said he faces murder, manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon charges. Authorities had been searching for several teenagers believed to be connected to the shooting, and the investigation remains ongoing. Police have not publicly established a motive.
Officers responded shortly before 9:30 a.m. Oct. 29 to the area of East 171st Street and Crotona Place in the Bronx after receiving a report of a person who had been shot. Police found Frimpong wounded and took him to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he later died. He had been walking to school when the shooting occurred.
Investigators have reviewed surveillance video that showed Frimpong running while being chased before he collapsed, according to police and local news reports. Authorities previously said they were looking for three teenagers believed to have fled after the shooting. Police have not said publicly what role they believe the arrested 17-year-old played or whether additional arrests are expected.
Frimpong’s family has said the teenager had experienced bullying at school before his death. His father, Thomas Frimpong, said two students had been suspended in connection with bullying his son. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said investigators were examining the bullying claims along with other possible motives, including whether robbery played a role. Police have not announced a finding tying the shooting to the reported bullying.
Frimpong had moved from Ghana to New York about a year before his death to live with his father and pursue educational opportunities, according to his family. Relatives described him as a quiet and ambitious student. His sister said he wanted to become a physician and hoped to follow family members into military service.
The killing prompted demonstrations and calls for answers from Frimpong’s relatives, community members, civil rights advocates and representatives of Ghana’s government. His family retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who joined the Rev. Al Sharpton and Ghana’s ambassador to the United Nations, Samuel Yao Kumah, at a news conference Wednesday.
Frimpong’s mother, Doris Adu Gyamfi, traveled from Ghana to the United States after the shooting. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani had asked President Donald Trump to help arrange a visa allowing her to come to New York. At Wednesday’s news conference, she called for justice for her son while family members and supporters pressed authorities for more information about why he was killed.
The arrest marks the first publicly announced charge in the case, but significant questions remain. Police have not released a motive, have not publicly identified the other teenagers previously sought in the investigation and have not said whether the 17-year-old knew Frimpong. The charges are allegations, and the teenager has not been convicted. The NYPD said its investigation is continuing.
Author note: Last updated November 11, 2026.