A 17-year-old boy has been charged with murder following the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Ghanaian teenager Javits Frimpong in the Bronx, New York.
The suspect was arrested at his home on Wednesday morning before being taken to the 42nd Precinct for questioning, Abc7ny reported. Police have withheld his identity because he is a minor.
He is facing charges of murder, manslaughter and other firearm-related offences in connection with the October 29 shooting.
Authorities had initially been searching for three teenagers believed to have been involved in the killing. Although one suspect is now in custody, investigators have not ruled out further arrests.
News of the arrest emerged just hours before lawyers representing Javits’ family addressed the media at a news conference in Harlem.
Speaking after learning that a teenager had been charged in connection with his son’s death, the victim’s father, Thomas Frimpong, expressed relief, saying he was “very very happy.”
Javits’ sister, Millicent Boateng, also spoke about the devastating loss and the ambitions her younger brother had hoped to pursue.
“He wanted to be a physician. He wanted to be in the military,” she said.
Boateng further shared an excerpt from her brother’s journal, which reflected his experience after arriving in the United States. In the entry, Javits had written that “school has been good since I came to the United States.”
The family has engaged prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump to represent them as the criminal investigation and legal proceedings move forward.
Crump indicated that he intended to accompany the family to court for the suspect’s arraignment.
“We plan on attending the arraignment later today with his family so they can see the man that killed their son,” Crump said.
Javits was shot in the stomach on the morning of October 29 while making his way to school. The attack prompted an extensive police search for three teenagers who reportedly escaped from the scene wearing black tracksuits and blue surgical masks.
Investigators said the suspects collected shell casings after the shooting, an action that authorities believe demonstrated a degree of sophistication in their attempt to avoid leaving evidence behind.
Their escape route reportedly took them into the Freeman Street subway station, where they jumped the turnstile and boarded a No. 5 train heading towards Manhattan.
During the incident, Javits dropped his schoolbag amid the commotion. A passerby reportedly picked it up and ran away separately. Police later indicated that the bag contained nothing of value.
The teenager’s death has unsettled the local community, with the circumstances surrounding the shooting drawing renewed attention to concerns about youth violence and bullying.
As the investigation continues, Javits’ family is preparing to lay him to rest. His funeral has been scheduled for November 20.
