A 17-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with the murder of Javits Frimpong, the 15-year-old Bronx teen who was fatally shot while walking to school in Claremont on Oct. 29, according to an NYPD X post.
The teen has been charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, murder and manslaughter.
The arrest comes nearly two weeks after Frimpong was shot shortly before 9:30 a.m. near East 171st Street and Third Avenue.
The DreamYard Preparatory School student was initially taken by NYPD officers to St. Barnabas Hospital and was reported in stable condition before later succumbing to his injuries.
In the days after the shooting, police said they were searching for three individuals believed to be between 16 and 18 years old in connection with the case.
Authorities had not publicly released descriptions of the individuals or identified a motive for the killing.
Frimpong’s death sent shockwaves through the Claremont community and New York City’s Ghanaian community.
The teenager and his father had moved to the United States from Ghana about a year ago, and loved ones described him as a respectful, intelligent teen with dreams for the future.
Frimpong’s father, Thomas Frimpong, said his son had been on his way to school when he was shot.
He also said school officials had previously contacted him regarding issues involving other students.
“They said that two boys had been suspended because my son always complained that they’re bullying him,” Thomas Frimpong told News 12.
Friends later said Frimpong had been involved in an altercation with two students at DreamYard Preparatory School days before the shooting.
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One friend described the incident as minor and said Frimpong was not someone who looked for trouble.
Investigators have not publicly linked that altercation to the fatal shooting.
As the investigation continued, hundreds of family members, friends, classmates, neighbours and community members gathered at vigils and rallies demanding justice for the teenager.
Mourners packed a memorial near the shooting scene, while faith leaders and members of the Ghanaian community called for an end to gun violence and greater protections for young people.
The case also drew national attention. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he spoke with President Donald Trump regarding Frimpong’s mother, who remained in Ghana following her son’s death.
The mayor said efforts were underway to allow her to travel to New York to say goodbye to her son.
“The murder of a child is a pain no parent should have to endure, let alone from thousands of miles away,” said Mamdani. “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.”
The mayor also added, “All of New York City is mourning this tragedy.”
Last week, the family announced they had retained prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump to represent them.
“Javits was a 15-year-old boy walking to school, something children across this country do every morning,” Crump said in a statement. “He deserved to make that walk safely.”
