Trump promises visa, police hunt Ghanaian teen’s killers

President of the United States, Donald Trump. Photo: The White House

The United States President, Donald Trump, has agreed to grant an immediate visa to the mother of a 15-year-old Ghanaian boy, Javits Frimpong, who was shot to death on his way to school in New York.

The Mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, disclosed this on Saturday after a telephone conversation with Trump.

Mamdani, who made the announcement in a post on X, said the arrangement would enable the bereaved mother, Doris Gyamfi, to travel from Ghana to see her son’s body and bid him farewell.

“The murder of a child is a pain no parent should have to endure, let alone from thousands of miles away.

“Javits Frimpong’s mother deserves to say goodbye to her son in person. I just got off the phone with President Trump and he has agreed to grant her visa immediately,” Mamdani said.

The development comes amid growing calls for justice for the teenager.

The killing has sparked outrage in Ghana and among members of the Ghanaian community in the United States.

Javits was shot in the abdomen around 9:30am on Thursday while walking to school near Crotona Park in the Bronx, New York.

According to reports, police officers who responded to the incident found him with a gunshot wound and rushed him to St Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

His father, Thomas Frimpong, said Javits had previously complained about being bullied at DreamYard Preparatory School.

He told CBS News New York that two students had recently been suspended following an altercation involving his son.

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According to 60-year-old Thomas, the teenager subsequently told him that one of the boys had repeatedly bullied him during lunch periods and that he had reported the issue several times.

His father described him as a quiet teenager who wanted to become a doctor.

Meanwhile, authorities have launched a manhunt for three boys believed to be between 16 and 18, connected with the killing.

The suspects reportedly fled in black tracksuits and blue surgical masks.

No arrests have been made, and investigators have not established whether he was specifically targeted.

Surveillance footage from the area showed a teenager running from another person

Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Ablakwa, assured the bereaved family that the government would work with US authorities to ensure that those responsible were brought to justice.

Ablakwa, who spoke with the deceased’s father on Friday, also conveyed the condolences of President John Mahama and pledged government support in the family’s pursuit of justice.

“We will pursue justice, and we’ll make sure that those who did this do not get away with it,” the minister said.

The Ghanaian government also called on authorities in the Bronx to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the killing.

In a separate statement, Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Victor Smith, called for a thorough and impartial investigation, citing reports that the teenager had experienced racial bullying at school.