The Government of Ghana has announced that it will cover the full travel costs for Madam Doris Adu Gyamfi, the mother of Javits Frimpong, a 15-year-old Ghanaian teenager who was fatally shot in the Bronx, New York. Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa made the announcement on Saturday, October 31, 2026, following diplomatic coordination between New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and US President Donald Trump.
The announcement came after Mayor Mamdani and President Trump had a telephone conversation, during which the President agreed to grant Madam Gyamfi an emergency visa to travel to the United States. According to Mayor Mamdani, the effort to reunite Madam Gyamfi with her family in New York required swift communication between city and federal officials in the United States. The Mayor emphasized the human urgency of allowing a mother to say goodbye in person.
Javits Frimpong died on Thursday, October 29, 2026, after suffering a gunshot wound to the abdomen in the Claremont neighborhood of the Bronx. Responding police officers transported the 10th-grade student from the scene to St. Barnabas Hospital, where medical staff pronounced him dead. The teenager was walking to DreamYard Preparatory School shortly before 9:30 a.m. when the shooting occurred.
The New York Police Department is investigating the homicide and searching for up to three male suspects believed to be teenagers. Authorities have not publicly identified the suspects or announced any arrests. Javits had moved from Ghana to the United States about a year earlier, in 2025, to join his father, Thomas Frimpong, a yellow cab driver in New York.
According to Thomas Frimpong, his son had repeatedly complained about being bullied at school. The family is pointing to possible school bullying as a motive for the shooting, although the police have not confirmed this. Minister Ablakwa spoke directly with Madam Gyamfi on Friday to extend condolences, describing her grief as unimaginable.
The Mahama administration will also contribute toward a dignified funeral for Javits Frimpong. Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are actively assisting Madam Gyamfi with her visa application, and Ghanaian officials expect her arrival in the United States in the coming days as farewell arrangements move forward.
Minister Ablakwa welcomed the intervention by Mayor Mamdani and President Trump, thanking both leaders for their rapid response. Madam Gyamfi is expected to arrive in New York soon to bid farewell to her son. The Government of Ghana's decision to fund her travel costs is seen as a gesture of support for the bereaved family.
Key points
- The Government of Ghana will cover the full travel costs for Madam Doris Adu Gyamfi to attend her son's funeral in New York.
- US President Donald Trump granted Madam Gyamfi an emergency visa following a request from New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani.
- The New York Police Department is investigating the homicide and searching for up to three male suspects believed to be teenagers.
