Javits Frimpong was shot shortly before 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 29, 2026, near East 171st Street and Crotona Place in the Claremont neighbourhood.
His 60-year-old father, Thomas Frimpong, told CBS News New York in an emotional telephone interview from the hospital where his son was pronounced dead that he was struggling to come to terms with the tragedy.
“It’s not easy for me. He’s my everything. I’m here with him alone,” he said.
Mr Frimpong disclosed that he had previously been contacted by the principal of DreamYard Preparatory, where Javits attended school, over an incident involving his son and two other students who were subsequently suspended.
He said his son later revealed that he had repeatedly been bullied, particularly during lunchtime.
“He said, ‘Dad, any time I am going to lunch, that guy keeps on bullying me.’ He said, ‘I have been reporting him several times,’” the grieving father recounted.
CBS News New York reported that it had contacted the school and the New York City Department of Education for comments on the allegations, but neither had immediately responded.
Javits moved from Ghana to the United States exactly a year before his death to join his father, who described him as a quiet and reserved teenager.
Police are searching for three teenage suspects, believed to be between 16 and 18 years old, in connection with the shooting. They were last seen wearing black clothing and blue surgical masks.
The attack occurred near the apartment the teenager shared with his father.
Meanwhile, residents have expressed shock and sadness over the killing, with some raising concerns about safety in the neighbourhood.
Cecile Johnson described the incident as devastating, particularly as a parent of a nine-year-old child.
Another resident, Modesto Arriola, expressed concern about the level of violence in the area, while a longtime resident identified as Carla said the teenager was simply on his way to school when he was attacked.
“He was just going to school, like doing what he was supposed to do,” she said.
In an emotional appeal, Mr Frimpong urged the suspects to surrender to the police, insisting that those responsible for his son’s death must face justice.
“I don’t think they are going to go free for killing an innocent child,” he said.
Police investigations into the shooting are ongoing.
The father of a teen killed in a shooting in the Bronx spoke through tears as he remembered his son.
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— PIX11 News (@PIX11News) October 29, 2026
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