Javits Frimpong’s Last Words in His Diary Leave Readers in Tears: “We Failed Him”

• Javits Frimpong, a 15-year-old Ghanaian immigrant, was fatally ambushed by three masked attackers on his way to school in the Bronx
• His family shared diary entries in which the tenth grader wrote about his ambitions, his faith, and his gratitude for his new life in America
• A GoFundMe campaign raised over $800,000 in three days, and New York's mayor secured a visa for Javits' mother to travel from Ghana

Javits Frimpong, a 15-year-old Ghanaian immigrant living in the Bronx, was fatally attacked by three masked assailants on his way to class at Dream Yard Preparatory School on a Thursday morning, October 29, 2026, just one block from his home in Mott Haven.

The tenth grader was struck in the abdomen on Crotona Place near East 171st Street at approximately 9:20 a.m. and was rushed to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he later died.

Police confirmed he was the intended target of the three males, each of whom wore a surgical mask before fleeing the scene. His killers have not been caught.

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Late teen’s diary leaves many heartbroken

In the days before his death, Javits had been writing in a personal journal that his family later shared with the New York Daily News.

The entries painted a portrait of a reflective, quietly ambitious young man still finding his footing in a new country.

"I am a shy person," he wrote.

"I am doing well on my journey and figuring out who I am."

He described his family as his anchor:

"My family are the people who will help me when no one will even attempt to help me. We spend time eating together, playing games together… My family like to have fun."

Javits had arrived in the United States exactly one year before his death, leaving his mother in Ghana to join his father.

He had dreamed of becoming a physician and wrote warmly about his school, noting that the learning environment felt far more nurturing than what he had experienced back home.

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He also kept a small amount of money in his room that his family says he was setting aside to support friends' education in Ghana.

"He believed that once he's here, he's gonna have a good life," his sister Millicent Frimpong said.

"He's a smart kid, and he wanted to help people."

Late Javits Frimpong's father speaks

His father, Thomas Frimpong, told investigators that Javits had been bullied by a few students who were recently suspended from his school, and believes those incidents may be connected to his son's murder.

"My son, he don't know anybody here," Thomas said.

The killing drew widespread condemnation from public officials. Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark appealed directly to the suspects, saying:

"We need you to turn yourself in before you kill another innocent person. We're looking for you."

New York City Mayor Mamdani announced on social media that he had spoken with President Trump, who agreed to grant an immediate visa to Javits' mother so she could travel from Ghana to say goodbye to her son in person.

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

A GoFundMe set up to support the Frimpong family raised over $800,000 in just three days. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will remain confidential.

The Facebook post below has a video of the late Javits Frimpong's father speaking in an interview.

Jay Ghartey pays tribute to Javits

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported on Ghanaian-American singer Jay Ghartey’s visit to the Bronx site where 15-year-old Javits Frimpong died, and the memorial left by mourners.

Frimpong was killed while travelling to school, prompting grief and calls for justice across the Ghanaian community.

A “Justice for Javits” poster and lit candles now mark the site as authorities search for three teenage suspects.

Source: YEN.com.gh