Bronx Student Dies After Being Shot Near School
Police seek three masked teens after a 15-year-old boy is killed in the stomach while walking to class, days after his father was informed of bullying at his school.
By Priya Marino ·
Javits Frimpong was struck in the stomach around 9:30 a.m. Thursday near Crotona Park in the Bronx, a wound that proved fatal despite his efforts to reach safety. The 15-year-old managed to run approximately one block before collapsing on the pavement. Emergency responders transported him to a nearby hospital, where doctors confirmed his death.
The incident occurred just days after a pattern of school discipline intersected with the teenager's daily routine. Frimpong arrived in New York from Ghana about a year prior to live with his father, Thomas Frimpong. His mother remains in Ghana, creating a transnational family unit where the loss is felt across two continents. Thomas described his son as a quiet individual who often stayed home, a characterization that contrasts with the public nature of the violence that ended his life.
Thomas Frimpong stated that the school principal contacted him three days before the shooting. During that conversation, officials informed the father that two students had been bullying Javits. Both students received one-week suspensions as a result. School officials also clarified to Thomas that Javits was not at fault in a recent confrontation. They indicated that the student had been defending himself against the other two.
Police are currently searching for three teenage boys who fled the area immediately after the shooting. No arrests have been made, and authorities have not released the names of any suspects. Surveillance footage captured at least one individual running from the scene. That person wore a black hoodie, black sweatpants, and a mask. Police stated that all three suspects were dressed in black sweatsuits and wore blue surgical masks.
The community response has been swift, with thousands of residents gathering for vigils to remember the teenager. The outpouring of grief has turned the local streets into a site of collective mourning. For the Frimpong family, the investigation now focuses on whether the recent suspensions at school provide a motive for the shooters. Thomas holds onto the principal's assurance that Javits was innocent, a claim that now anchors the family's search for justice.
The final interaction between father and son took place on the morning of the shooting. Thomas told Javits to make sure he arrived at school on time. Those instructions were the last words they exchanged before the teenager left the house. The routine nature of that exchange underscores the suddenness of the event. The family is now left to reconcile the ordinary morning with the extraordinary loss, waiting for the police to identify the three masked youths who left the scene.
