“He was my everything” – Ghanaian father mourns 15-year-old son killed in Bronx shooting

A Ghanaian father in the United States is mourning the death of his 15-year-old son, Javits Frimpong, who was fatally shot while walking to school in the Bronx, New York.

The boy’s father, 60-year-old Thomas Frimpong, described his son as his “everything” as he struggled to come to terms with the tragedy.

Speaking to CBS News New York by phone from the hospital where his son was pronounced dead, Mr Frimpong said: “It’s not easy for me. it’s not easy for me. He’s my everything. I’m here with him alone. I’m here with him alone. They said my son passes, past. It’s not easy ma’am. It’s not easy.”

Javits was shot once shortly before 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 29, 2026, near East 171st Street and Crotona Place in the Claremont section of the Bronx. The incident occurred close to the apartment he shared with his father.

Police are searching for three teenage suspects, believed to be between 16 and 18 years old, who were last seen dressed in black clothing and wearing blue surgical masks.

Mr Frimpong said he was informed of the shooting by the principal of his son’s school, Dreamyard Preparatory. He disclosed that the school head had contacted him days earlier following an incident involving his son and two other students.

“Two boys, um, were fighting with my son and the two boys got suspended,” he said.

According to the father, it was during that period that Javits opened up about being repeatedly bullied by a schoolmate.

“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,’” Mr Frimpong recounted.

CBS News New York said it had contacted the school and the Department of Education for comment on the bullying allegations, but neither had immediately responded.

Javits had relocated from Ghana to the United States exactly a year before his death to reunite with his father, who described him as a quiet and reserved boy.

“My son is very quiet. My son didn’t talk. He don’t talk,” he said.

The killing has also left residents in the neighbourhood shocked, with some expressing concern about the safety of young people.

One neighbour, Cecile Johnson, said: “It’s devastating. I got a son that’s 9. It’s sad.”

Another resident, Modesto Arriola, expressed concern about the situation in the area, saying: “Over here, there’s no control over here.”

A longtime resident, Carla, said the teenager was simply on his way to school when he was attacked.

“He was just going to school, like doing what he was supposed to do,” she said.

In an emotional appeal, Mr Frimpong urged those responsible to surrender to the police, insisting they should face justice for the killing.

“I don’t think they are going to go free for killing an innocent child,” he said.