A 17-year-old boy has been taken into custody in connection with the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Ghanaian teenager Javits Frimpong in the Bronx, New York, according to police sources.
Frimpong was shot in the stomach on October 29 while walking to school near Crotona Park in the Bronx. He later died at a hospital after reportedly running about a block from where he was shot.
The latest development marks a breakthrough in investigations into the killing, which had prompted police to search for three teenage boys suspected of fleeing the scene.
Police sources confirmed that a 17-year-old male was in custody, although further details about his alleged involvement had not been provided in the available reports.
Before the arrest, investigators had released descriptions of individuals believed to have been involved in the shooting. Surveillance footage reportedly showed a person fleeing the scene wearing a black hoodie, black sweatpants and a face mask.
Police had also said three teenagers fled the area wearing black sweatsuits and blue surgical masks.
Frimpong’s killing had raised concerns about possible bullying at his school, with his father, Thomas Frimpong, suggesting that the shooting could be connected to an earlier incident involving his son.
The father said the school’s principal had informed him three days before the shooting that two students had bullied his son and had been suspended for a week.
He also said school authorities had indicated that his son was not the aggressor in a recent confrontation.
“The principal told me Javits is innocent. Javits is innocent. He was defending himself,” he said.
Thomas Frimpong said he brought his son from Ghana to New York about a year ago in the hope of giving him a better life. The teenager’s mother remains in Ghana.
He described his son as a quiet and intelligent boy who largely kept to himself and spent little time outside their home.
The father, who works as a taxi driver, said his last instruction to his son on the morning of the shooting was to ensure he arrived at school on time.
“My son was precious, very clever,” he said.
