By: Jennifer Nerkie Kenney
A 15-year-old Ghanaian student, Javits Frimpong, has been shot dead in the Bronx, New York, following reports that he had been experiencing bullying at school.
Frimpong, a student of DreamYard Preparatory School in the Bronx, was found with a gunshot wound to his abdomen shortly before 9:30 a.m. on Thursday after police responded to reports of a teenager being shot near East 172nd Street and Crotona Place in the Claremont neighbourhood, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD).
He was rushed to St. Barnabas Hospital in a police vehicle but later succumbed to his injuries.
His father, 60-year-old Thomas Frimpong, who said he had recently become aware of the alleged bullying, believes the incidents may have contributed to the circumstances surrounding his son’s death.
He told reporters that the school’s principal had previously contacted him about two students who were allegedly harassing his son, resulting in their suspension.
Recounting what Javits had told him, the grieving father said one of the students regularly bullied his son, particularly during lunch breaks.
He quoted his son as saying: “Every time I’m going to lunch, especially one of them always bullying him.”
Mr Frimpong said he had advised his son to report the incidents to school authorities, but the teenager indicated that he had repeatedly done so.
The father has appealed to those responsible for the shooting to surrender to the police.
“I will tell them to give themselves to the police. I don’t think they are going to go free for killing an innocent child,” he said.
Speaking about the devastating loss, he said he was struggling to come to terms with his son’s death.
“I lost him. Why should I? I don’t know what to do now,” he lamented.
Thomas Frimpong described Javits as a quiet boy who rarely spoke. He disclosed that his son had moved from Ghana to the United States about a year ago to join him.
The distraught father, who said he rushed to the hospital after receiving news of the shooting, expressed the depth of his grief.
“It’s not easy for me. It’s not easy for me. He’s my everything. I’m here with him alone,” he said.
Meanwhile, police are searching for at least two male suspects, believed to be teenagers, in connection with the shooting. The suspects were reportedly dressed in dark clothing and wearing surgical masks.
Surveillance footage obtained by local media reportedly shows two individuals matching the suspects’ descriptions fleeing the scene. One of them is seen returning to retrieve an object he had dropped before both suspects ran away.
The NYPD has appealed to anyone with information that could assist investigations to contact Crime Stoppers on 1-800-577-TIPS.
The shooting has left residents of the neighbourhood shocked, with some expressing concerns about the safety of children in the area.
One neighbour, Cecile Johnson, described the incident as devastating, while another resident, Modesto Arriola, said the violence had heightened fears among parents.
A longtime resident identified only as Carla said Javits had been on his way to school and was simply doing what was expected of him when his life was cut short.