American rapper Cardi B has spoken out about the shooting death of 15-year-old Javits Frimpong, a Ghanaian schoolboy who was killed in the Bronx. Cardi B, who grew up in the Bronx, said the killing is proof she would never raise children in the New York City borough where she was raised. Frimpong was shot once near East 171st Street in the Claremont section of the Bronx while walking to school on October 29. He died in hospital shortly after.
Frimpong's death has stirred reaction among Ghanaians at home and in the diaspora. The rapper's comments add a new layer of international attention to the case. Cardi B said she would never raise a kid in the Bronx, Harlem, or Washington Heights, citing the daily struggle of growing up in such neighborhoods. She described it as a "game of survival" to live in those places.
Police are searching for three teenage boys, aged between 16 and 18, who were last seen dressed in all-black clothing and blue surgical masks. No arrests have been made, and investigators have not said what triggered the shooting. Cardi B questioned the mindset of the teenagers being sought by police, asking what would make someone "wake up in the morning and say 'today is a good day to kill someone who has not wronged or attacked me.'"
Frimpong's father, Thomas Frimpong, a 60-year-old taxi driver, told CBS News New York that the school's principal had called him days before the shooting over a fight involving his son and two other boys who were later suspended. He said Javits had also told him he was being bullied at lunch, though authorities have not confirmed whether bullying had any connection to the shooting.
Javits had moved from Ghana to the United States only a year earlier to join his father in the Bronx. The Ghanaian government has agreed to fund a trip to New York for Javits's mother, Doris Adu Gyamfi, so she can bury her son. New York City Mayor and Ghana's President secured a visa for her following a phone call between the two leaders, clearing the way for her travel.
Ghanaians across the United States had earlier gathered to light candles in Frimpong's memory. His death also featured in a wider look at five Ghanaians shot dead in the US this year, a list that ranges from a university professor to a schoolboy. Cardi B urged people raising families in New York to consider leaving the city altogether, arguing that young people there have grown increasingly aggressive.
The shooting has raised concerns about safety in the Bronx and the need for greater support for families and young people. The incident has also highlighted the challenges faced by immigrant communities in the US.
Key points
- Cardi B says Bronx is not safe for kids
- Ghanaian government to fund trip for Javits's mother's burial
- Police searching for three teenage boys in connection with the shooting
