Ghanaian teen Javits Frimpong shot dead in the Bronx; Ghana calls for justice
Javits Frimpong, 15, was fatally shot near his Bronx school on 29 October. Ghana's government has demanded a full investigation and pledged legal support to the family.
Ghana demands justice after 15-year-old Javits Frimpong is shot dead in the Bronx
Javits Frimpong, a 15-year-old Ghanaian schoolboy, was shot once in the abdomen just before 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, 29 October, near East 171st Street and Crotona Place in the Claremont section of the Bronx, New York. Officers transported him to hospital, where he later died, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD).
According to 3news.com, the killing has prompted an immediate response from the Ghanaian government, with both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Government Communications calling on US authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and hold those responsible accountable.
Ghana's government pledges support
Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Ghana's Minister of Government Communications, described the shooting as a "senseless killing" and said the government would follow the legal proceedings to ensure the family receives proper legal representation.
"To the extent legally possible, Government will provide aid to any Ghanaian anywhere in the world. This is a senseless killing, and I hope the American authorities conduct investigations and hold those responsible accountable," Kwakye Ofosu said on TV3's Key Points programme on Saturday, 31 October.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa issued a statement on Friday, 30 October, conveying the government's condolences to the Frimpong family and confirming he had been in direct contact with the teenager's father. "We will pursue justice, and we will make sure that those who did this do not get away with it. We are all saddened. We are all distraught. He did not deserve this," the statement read.
Officials from Ghana's Permanent Mission in New York visited Thomas Frimpong at his Bronx home on Friday morning to offer condolences and solidarity. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it would actively work with US authorities to pursue justice and stands ready to provide "appropriate legal and consular assistance."
A father's grief
Thomas Frimpong, 60, learned that his son had been shot from the principal of Dreamyard Preparatory, the school Javits attended. CBS News New York reached him by phone while he was still at the hospital.
"It's not easy for me. He's my everything. I'm here with him alone," Thomas Frimpong said. "They said my son passes, past. It's not easy, ma'am. It's not easy."
Javits had arrived in the United States from Ghana one year earlier to live with his father. Thomas Frimpong described his son as quiet and reserved. The street where the shooting occurred is around the corner from the apartment the two shared.
A history of bullying
The school principal had already been in contact with Thomas Frimpong days before the shooting following a separate incident involving his son. Two boys had been fighting with Javits and were subsequently suspended.
Thomas Frimpong said his son had confided in him after that episode. "He said, 'Dad, any time I am going to lunch, that guy keep on bullying me.' He said, 'I have been reporting him several times,'" Thomas Frimpong recounted.
3news.com notes that CBS News New York reached out to Dreamyard Preparatory and the New York City Department of Education regarding the bullying claims, but neither had responded at the time of publication.
Suspects at large
Police are searching for three teenage boys, aged between 16 and 18, last seen wearing all-black clothing and blue surgical masks. The NYPD said it remains unclear what led up to the shooting.
Neighbours in the Claremont section expressed shock and distress at the violence. "It's devastating. I got a son that's 9. It's sad," said neighbour Cecile Johnson. Modesto Arriola, another local resident, said: "I've got kids. Over here, there's no control over here." A longtime resident named Carla said Javits "was just going to school, like doing what he was supposed to do," adding that the victim had much to offer the community.
Thomas Frimpong appealed directly to the suspects. "I don't think they are going to go free for killing an innocent child," he said, urging them to turn themselves in.
Ghana's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the country "remains steadfast in its unwavering commitment to the safety, dignity and well-being of its citizens everywhere, any time, and in all circumstances," and extended condolences particularly to Javits's mother, Doris Adu Gyamfi, in Kumasi.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)