A 15-year-old Ghanaian boy has been shot dead while walking to school in the Bronx, New York, with police searching for three teenage suspects in connection with the incident.
The victim, identified as Javits Frimpong, was shot once in the abdomen at about 9:24 a.m. on Thursday near East 171st Street and Crotona Place in the Claremont section of the borough.
He was rushed to St. Barnabas Hospital but later died from his injuries, according to police.
Investigators said three teenage boys, believed to be between 16 and 18 years old, fled the scene after the shooting. They were last seen wearing black clothing and blue surgical masks.
Police have not disclosed what led to the shooting, and no arrests had been announced in the reports.
Frimpong was on his way to Dreamyard Preparatory School when he was attacked. His father, Thomas Frimpong, said he received a call from the school’s principal informing him that his son had been shot.
The father said he was devastated by the loss, describing the teenager as everything to him.
“It’s not easy for me. it’s not easy for me. He’s my everything. I’m here with him alone. I’m here with him alone,” he said.
Javits had moved from Ghana to the United States about a year ago to live with his father.
The killing has left residents in the neighbourhood shocked, with some calling for stronger measures to protect young people from violence.
Police investigations into the shooting are ongoing.
