A teenage boy was chased down and fatally shot on Thursday morning on his way to school in New York City, and police are searching for three teenage boys in connection with the killing.
Police responding to a report of a shooting on Thursday morning found the boy with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
The police have made no arrests. Surveillance footage reportedly showed the boy running while a person dressed in all black trailed behind him, and another angle appeared to show masked individuals in dark clothing fleeing the scene.
The boy's father told reporters his son was being bullied at school. An NYPD spokesperson declined to comment on Friday on whether the reports of bullying were related to the attack.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- A 15-year-old was killed in daylight on his way to school, raising alarm about student safety in the Bronx.
- The case has resonated with New York's west African community and drawn a response from Ghana's government.
- The family says Javits had been bullied at school, and police are investigating whether the harassment was connected to the shooting.
Background
The shooting occurred in the Claremont neighborhood of the Bronx, where Javits had been living with his father since arriving from Ghana about a year ago. His killing has prompted grief in both New York's Ghanaian community and in Ghana. The investigation is at an early stage, with no arrests announced.
Key Perspectives
- Thomas Frimpong, father: says he has lost his son and does not know what to do now; described Javits as "clever" and "quiet" and said he was being bullied at school.
- Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Ghana's minister of foreign affairs: condemned the attack and said "We will pursue justice and we will make sure that those who did this do not get away with it."
- Ghana diaspora public affairs collective: said the family came to America with hopes of a promising future, and "That future has now been violently taken away."
- NYPD: has made no arrests and declined to comment on whether the bullying reports were related to the attack.
What to Watch
- Whether police identify and arrest the three teenage boys sought in connection with the shooting.
- Whether the investigation establishes any link between the bullying Javits's father reported and the attack.
- How the school and community respond to the killing in the coming days.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedA teenage boy was fatally shot on his way to school in New York City.World news | The Guardian: “A teenage boy from Ghana was chased down and fatally shot Thursday morning on his way to school in the Bronx.”
- SupportedPolice are searching for three teenage boys in connection with the killing.World news | The Guardian: “Police have not made any arrests and an investigation is ongoing as authorities search for three teenage boys in connection to the shooting.”
- SupportedThe victim’s father said his son was bullied at school.World news | The Guardian: “Javits was being bullied at the DreamYard preparatory school, according to Frimpong.”
- SupportedThe boy was chased down and fatally shot on Thursday morning.World news | The Guardian: “A teenage boy from Ghana was chased down and fatally shot Thursday morning on his way to school in the Bronx.”
- SupportedThe shooting happened while the boy was on his way to school in New York City.World news | The Guardian: “A teenage boy from Ghana was chased down and fatally shot Thursday morning on his way to school in the Bronx.”
- SupportedPolice responding to a Thursday-morning shooting report found the boy with a gunshot wound.World news | The Guardian: “The New York City police department (NYPD) received a report on Thursday morning about a shooting near Corona Park in the Bronx, a police spokesperson said on Friday. At about 9.24am, responding officers found Javits Frimpong, 15, with a gunshot wound to his stomach.”
- SupportedThe boy was pronounced dead at a local hospital.World news | The Guardian: “Javits was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.”
- SupportedPolice have made no arrests.World news | The Guardian: “Police have not made any arrests and an investigation is ongoing as authorities search for three teenage boys in connection to the shooting.”
- SupportedSurveillance footage reportedly showed the boy running as a person dressed in all black trailed behind him.World news | The Guardian: “Surveillance footage reportedly captured Javits running, as a person wearing all black trailed behind.”
- SupportedAnother angle appeared to show masked individuals in dark clothing fleeing the scene.World news | The Guardian: “Another angle of video footage appeared to show masked individuals in dark clothing fleeing the site of the shooting.”
- Partly supportedThe father told reporters that his son was being bullied at school.World news | The Guardian: “Javits was being bullied at the DreamYard preparatory school, according to Frimpong.”
- SupportedAn NYPD spokesperson declined to comment on Friday on whether the bullying reports were related to the attack.World news | The Guardian: “An NYPD spokesperson declined to comment Friday on whether the reports of bullying were related to the attack.”