Frimpong family demands justice for Javits after suspect's arrest

The family of Javits Frimpong, a 15-year-old Ghanaian student fatally shot while walking to school in New York, has renewed its demand for justice following the arrest of a teenage suspect. Thomas Frimpong, Javits' father, addressed reporters at the House of Justice in Harlem, saying, "Now what I'm saying is I need justice for my son." The suspect, a 17-year-old boy, was arrested and charged with murder, manslaughter, and criminal possession of a weapon.

Javits arrived in the United States from Ghana on October 28, 2025, to continue his education. His father, Thomas, recalled collecting him from John F. Kennedy International Airport and the excitement with which the boy approached his new life. A year and a day after that arrival, Javits was shot on his way to school. Thomas said he was at work when he received news of the shooting. According to police, officers responded to an emergency call at about 9:30 am on October 29 and found Javits near East 171st Street and Crotona Place with a gunshot wound to his abdomen.

The family addressed reporters on Wednesday at the National Action Network's House of Justice in Harlem, joined by civil rights campaigner Reverend Al Sharpton, lawyer Ben Crump, and Ghana's permanent representative to the United Nations, Samuel Yao Kumah. News of the arrest emerged on the morning of the gathering, which organisers had arranged beforehand to press for answers and appeal for information about the killing. Javits attended DreamYard Preparatory School in the Bronx, where he was a tenth-grade student.

Investigators had previously said they were seeking three people in connection with the shooting. The announcement of the arrest did not establish a motive, and the investigation remains open. The family has raised concerns about bullying before Javits's death. His father told reporters that school officials had informed him of the suspension of two students following complaints involving his son. However, investigators have not publicly established that those incidents caused the shooting.

The case has drawn diplomatic attention in Ghana. Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said Ghana and the United States agreed on the need to secure justice for Javits. According to Ghanaian broadcaster 3News, acting US envoy Rolf Olson briefed Ablakwa on progress in the investigation. The minister also acknowledged assistance in arranging travel documents for members of the bereaved family.

Javits's mother, Doris Adu Gyamfi, travelled from Ghana to the United States on an emergency visa after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani appealed to President Donald Trump. She attended the news conference as the family prepared to bury her son. "I need justice for my child," she said. His sister, Millicent Frimpong, said Javits hoped to become a physician and had also expressed an interest in joining the military.

The National Action Network has urged anyone with information about the shooting to contact the New York Police Department as detectives continue their investigation. Crump, who represents the family, has called for an investigation that establishes both who was responsible and why the teenager was targeted. Sharpton also used the gathering to call for stronger gun legislation and question how teenagers obtained firearms.

Key points

• The 17-year-old suspect was charged with murder, manslaughter, and criminal possession of a weapon.
• The family of Javits Frimpong has raised concerns about bullying before his death.
• The case has drawn diplomatic attention in Ghana, with the country's Foreign Affairs Minister agreeing on the need to secure justice for Javits.