The Ghanaian government has stepped in to fund the travel costs of Doris Adu Gyamfi, who will finally be able to travel to New York to bury her son Javits Frimpong. The 15-year-old was shot dead on his way to school in the Bronx. A telephone call between New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and US President Donald Trump cleared the way for Madam Gyamfi to obtain a visa.
Mayor Mamdani announced on social media that President Trump had agreed to grant Madam Gyamfi a visa immediately after their phone conversation. He expressed his condolences to the family, stating that the murder of a child was a pain no parent should have to endure. Javits Frimpong's mother was previously unable to travel to New York for her son's funeral due to visa issues.
Ghana's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, announced that the government would cover the full cost of Madam Gyamfi's travel to New York. This will enable her to attend her son's funeral and pay her last respects. Mr. Ablakwa thanked Mayor Mamdani directly for his intervention in securing the visa.
Javits Frimpong was shot in the abdomen on October 29 while walking to his school in the Claremont section of the Bronx. He was a 10th-grade student at DreamYard Preparatory School. Despite efforts to save him, he later died of his injuries at St. Barnabas Hospital. The teenager had moved from Ghana to the United States in 2025 to live with his father.
The shooting has drawn attention to a wider pattern of violence affecting Ghanaians in the United States this year. Five Ghanaians, including a university professor and a schoolboy, have been shot dead in the US in 2026. Ghana's Ambassador to the United States, Victor Emmanuel Smith, has called for a thorough and impartial investigation into Javits Frimpong's killing.
The New York Police Department is investigating the shooting and searching for up to three male suspects believed to be teenagers. Javits Frimpong's father, Thomas Frimpong, has told reporters that he suspects the shooting may be connected to bullying his son experienced at school. The school's principal had previously informed him of an incident in which two students allegedly harassed Javits and were subsequently suspended.
Madam Gyamfi is expected to travel to New York in the coming days to join her husband and attend the funeral arrangements for their son. The Ghanaian community in New York has been mourning Javits Frimpong's death, with members lighting candles in his memory. The Mahama administration has also pledged to contribute towards giving Javits a dignified funeral and to secure justice for the teenager.
Key points
- The Ghanaian government will fund Doris Adu Gyamfi's travel costs to attend her son's funeral in New York.
- A phone call between US President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani secured Madam Gyamfi's visa.
- The shooting has highlighted a troubling pattern of violence affecting Ghanaians in the United States this year.
