United States President Donald Trump has agreed to grant a U.S. visa to the mother of Javits Frimpong, a 15-year-old Ghanaian student fatally shot in New York City. New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announced the decision on social media following a direct telephone conversation with President Trump. The move allows the grieving mother to travel from Ghana to New York to bid farewell to her son.
The tragic incident occurred on Thursday, October 29, in the Claremont neighborhood of the Bronx. Javits Frimpong was walking to school when he suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen near East 171st Street and Crotona Place. Responding police officers transported the 10th-grade DreamYard Preparatory School student to St. Barnabas Hospital, where medical staff later pronounced him dead.
The victim had relocated from Ghana to the United States in 2025 to reside with his father, Thomas Frimpong, who works as a yellow cab driver in New York City. Thomas Frimpong expressed deep concern that ongoing school bullying may have played a role in the shooting. The grieving father stated that the school principal had previously notified him of an incident involving two students who allegedly harassed Javits.
Mayor Mamdani shared the development publicly to confirm that federal assistance had been secured for the family. “The murder of a child is a pain no parent should have to endure, let alone from thousands of miles away,” Mayor Mamdani wrote on social media. “Javits Frimpong’s mother deserves to say goodbye to her son in person.
The New York Police Department has not established a motive for the shooting or confirmed any link to the alleged school bullying. Detectives are actively searching for up to three male teenage suspects last seen running down Fulton Avenue in dark attire. Law enforcement officials have not publicly identified the suspects, and no arrests were announced as of Saturday, October 31.
The Government of Ghana strongly condemned the killing and called on American authorities to conduct a comprehensive investigation. Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa reached out directly to Thomas Frimpong to convey official condolences and promise state support. Diplomats from Ghana’s Permanent Mission in New York also visited the bereaved family to offer their condolences.
Mayor Mamdani did not detail the specific visa category or the precise logistics for its expedited processing. The mayor's intervention ensured that Javits Frimpong's mother can now travel to the United States to be with her family during this difficult time. The incident has sparked widespread outrage and sadness in both Ghana and the United States.
Key points
- US President Donald Trump agreed to grant a visa to Javits Frimpong's mother.
- The shooting occurred on October 29 in the Bronx, New York City.
- Ghana's government has condemned the killing and called for a thorough investigation.
