Authorities in New York have arrested a 17-year-old boy in connection with the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Ghanaian student, Javits Frimpong, who was killed while walking to school in the Bronx last month.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) confirmed the arrest in a statement shared on its official X account on Wednesday, disclosing that detectives apprehended the teenager earlier that morning and charged him with murder.
The department said it remained committed to bringing those responsible for violent crimes to justice, particularly cases involving the killing of young people.
“The NYPD will be relentless in our efforts to get dangerous people out of our communities, especially when it involves the murder of a 15-year-old boy,” the statement read.
According to ABC7 New York, the suspect was taken to the 42nd Precinct on Wednesday morning for questioning. He is also reportedly facing additional charges, including manslaughter and firearm-related offences.
Police have not released his identity because he is a minor. Authorities have equally withheld details about what may have motivated the shooting.
Frimpong was attacked on October 29, 2026, while making his way to school near East 171st Street and Crotona Place in the Claremont neighbourhood of the Bronx.
He sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen and was transported to a hospital, where he was subsequently pronounced dead.
The teenager had reportedly moved from Ghana to the United States approximately a year before his death to reunite with his father, Thomas Frimpong, according to a report by The Guardian published on October 30.
Speaking to the newspaper, his father disclosed that his son had previously experienced bullying at school, alleging that two students were suspended over harassment.
However, investigators have not established any link between the reported bullying incidents and the teenager’s killing.
The arrest marks a development in the investigation into Frimpong’s death, although the circumstances and motive behind the shooting remain unclear.
