A Ghanaian father, Thomas Frimpong, is mourning the loss of his 15-year-old son, Javits, who was shot dead while walking to school in the Bronx, New York, United States.
Javits was attacked at Crotona Park, East 171st Street, around 9:30 a.m. on Thursday. Police arrived at the scene and rushed him to the hospital, but he did not survive.
Surveillance footage being reviewed by the police reportedly showed a boy chasing Javits as he tried to escape before shooting him. The suspect was dressed in black trousers and a hood, while two other boys stood across the street near the victim’s home.
Speaking to reporters, Frimpong said his son had complained about being bullied at school earlier in the week. He added that the school principal called him on Monday to inform him that two students had been suspended for a week and Javits had been cleared.
The taxi driver, who said his son moved from Ghana to the US exactly a year ago, told CBS New York:
“He told me that everytime he was going for lunch, one of them in particular used to bully him. I asked him if he reported them and he said he did.
“It’s not easy. He’s my everything. I’m here with him alone. He came from Africa (Ghana) just one year ago. He’s quiet. He does talk. He was always on his phone.I don’t think they are going to go free for what they have done to an innocent child.”
Javits’ mother is still in Ghana. Frimpong said she was devastated by the news.
“She was heartbroken and said she wouldn’t believe until she saw his corpse.”
Police had yet to make any arrests but were searching for three teenage boys linked to the killing.
