The US Embassy in Accra has granted a visa to Madam Doris Adu Gyamfi, the mother of Javits Frimpong, a 15-year-old Ghanaian student who was fatally shot in the Bronx, New York, on October 29, 2026. The embassy processed the visa application on the same day, allowing Madam Gyamfi and her niece to travel to the US. Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced the development on Facebook, praising the embassy for its swift handling of the travel documents.
According to Ablakwa, the interventions by US President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani were critical to facilitating the visa process. Javits Frimpong was shot in the abdomen while walking to school in the Bronx, and despite being rushed to hospital, he did not survive. The New York Police Department confirmed the shooting, but investigators have not yet publicly established a motive for the attack.
The Ghanaian government has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring accountability for Javits Frimpong's death. Ablakwa stated that the Foreign Affairs Ministry remains in active contact with American authorities monitoring the ongoing investigation. He also extended his sympathies to the family, adding that no parent deserves to lose their child in such heart-wrenching circumstances.
Javits Frimpong had relocated from Ghana to the US about a year before his death to live with his father, Thomas Frimpong. In the wake of the tragedy, Thomas disclosed that Javits had reportedly faced bullying at school, and that the principal had suspended two students over related incidents in the days before the shooting.
Following the outcry in both Ghana and the US, Mayor Mamdani announced that President Trump had agreed to grant Javits' mother an emergency visa. Ablakwa subsequently confirmed that the Mahama administration would cover the full cost of her travel and contribute towards a dignified funeral for the teenager.
The US Embassy in Ghana paid tribute to Javits Frimpong, prompting an outpouring of grief and calls for justice from Ghanaians online. People on both sides of the Atlantic mourned the teenager, and the embassy's message was seen as a gesture of solidarity with the bereaved family.
Madam Doris Adu Gyamfi and her niece are expected to fly to the US to be with the family as they prepare to lay Javits to rest. The Ghanaian government has assured that it will continue to pursue justice for Javits Frimpong and all Ghanaian citizens who may be victims of attacks abroad.
Key points
- The US Embassy in Accra granted a same-day visa to Javits Frimpong's mother, Madam Doris Adu Gyamfi, following interventions by US President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
- Javits Frimpong, a 15-year-old Ghanaian student, was fatally shot in the Bronx, New York, on October 29, 2026.
- The Ghanaian government has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring accountability for Javits Frimpong's death and will continue to pursue justice for all Ghanaian citizens who may be victims of attacks abroad.
