A 15-year-old Ghanaian teenager, Javits Frimpong, has been shot dead while travelling to school in the Bronx, New York, with his father suspecting that bullying may have contributed to the killing.
The teenager was reportedly shot in the stomach at about 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 29, near Crotona Park. He was rushed to hospital but later died from his injuries.
According to the New York Police Department (NYPD), three teenage boys are being sought in connection with the shooting. The suspects reportedly fled the scene wearing black tracksuits and blue surgical masks.
Surveillance footage reportedly showed an individual matching the description of one of the suspects fleeing the area after the incident.
Javits’ father, Thomas Frimpong, alleged that his son had been bullied by two schoolmates who were recently suspended. He said the school’s principal informed him about the bullying just three days before his son’s death.
Frimpong also maintained that his son was not responsible for the earlier confrontation at school, insisting that he had acted in self-defence.
“The principal told me Javits is innocent. Javits is innocent. He was defending himself,” the grieving father said.
The father disclosed that he brought Javits from Ghana to New York about a year ago in the hope of providing him with better opportunities, while the teenager’s mother remained in Ghana.
Describing his son, Frimpong said he was “precious” and “very clever”.
He also recalled that his last conversation with the teenager on Thursday morning was a reminder to get to school on time.
The killing has sparked outrage among residents of the Crotona Park neighbourhood, with some calling for increased youth programmes and after-school activities to help prevent violence among teenagers.
Police have yet to publicly identify any suspects or announce arrests as investigations into the shooting continue.
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