A 17-year-old boy has been arrested and charged with murder in connection with the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Javits Frimpong in the Bronx.
The teenager was taken from his Bronx home for questioning Wednesday morning and brought to the New York City police department (NYPD)’s 42nd precinct. The suspect, whose identity has not been released, faces several charges, including murder, manslaughter, criminal possession of a weapon and other firearm-related offenses.
Investigators had previously been searching for three teenage boys believed to be connected to the shooting. Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of additional arrests. It remains unclear whether the suspect and the victim knew one another.
The arrest took place just hours before attorneys representing Frimpong’s family held a news conference in Harlem.
The deadly incident occurred on 29 October near Crotona Park in the Bronx. Officers responded to a shooting report at approximately 9.24am and discovered Frimpong suffering from a gunshot wound to his abdomen, according to the NYPD.
The 15-year-old was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police initially reported that no arrests had been made as investigators searched for three teenage suspects.
Surveillance video reportedly showed Frimpong running while someone dressed entirely in black followed him. Footage from another camera angle appeared to capture masked individuals wearing dark clothing running away from the scene.
Frimpong’s death has deeply affected members of the Bronx’s close-knit Ghanaian community, as well as students at DreamYard Preparatory School, where he was in his sophomore year.
The teenager had moved to the US from Ghana a year earlier to reunite with his father, who works as a taxi driver. His killing occurred around the time he was marking his first anniversary of living in New York.
Frimpong’s father remembered his son as “clever” and “quiet”. He also said the teenager had been experiencing bullying at DreamYard Preparatory School.
As the investigation continues, the family has hired civil rights attorney Ben Crump to represent them.
“A juvenile suspect has reportedly been charged in connection with Javits’ killing,” Crump said in a statement. “While these charges mark an important step toward accountability, the questions remain: Why did this happen, and could it have been prevented? His family deserves answers and justice.”
