My Son Complained Of School Bullies, Says Dad Of Ghanaian Boy Shot Dead In New York
The father of a 15-year-old Ghanaian boy who was shot dead in the Bronx, New York, has expressed grief over his son’s death, saying the boy previously reported incidents of bullying at school.
Thomas Frimpong, 60, said his son, Javits, had been living with him in the United States for exactly a year before the tragic incident.
Javits Frimpong was shot dead while walking near a school in the Bronx, New York.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) said it was searching for three teenage boys aged between 16 and 18 in connection with the shooting.
Frimpong was shot once in the abdomen shortly before 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 29, near East 171st Street and Crotona Place in the Claremont section of the Bronx.
According to a report by CBS News, police rushed him to a hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
The suspects were last seen wearing black clothing and blue surgical masks. Police have not established what led to the attack.
The shooting occurred close to the apartment Frimpong shared with his father, Thomas Frimpong, 60.
His father told CBS News that he received information about the incident from the Principal at Dreamyard Preparatory, where his son attended school.
Thomas said the Principal had contacted him about an earlier confrontation involving his son and two other boys.
He alleged that the students had fought with Frimpong days before the fatal shooting and were subsequently suspended.
The grieving father also disclosed that his son had complained about repeated bullying at school.
According to Thomas, Frimpong told him that one student regularly bullied him during lunchtime despite several reports to school authorities.
“He said, ‘Dad, any time I am going to lunch, that guy keep on bullying me,'” Thomas recounted, adding that his son had reported the alleged harassment several times.
Frimpong moved from Ghana to the United States about a year ago to reunite with his father.
Thomas described him as a quiet boy who rarely spoke about his problems.
The killing has left residents in the neighbourhood concerned about the safety of children.
One resident, Cecile Johnson, described the incident as devastating, while another neighbour, Modesto Arriola, expressed concern about the safety of families living in the area.
A longtime resident identified only as Carla said Frimpong was simply on his way to school when the shooting occurred.
She described his death as a loss for the community.
Thomas has appealed to the three suspects to surrender to the authorities, insisting that those responsible should face justice for his son’s death.
