Bronx Congressman Ritchie Torres Breaks Silence on Ghanaian Boy Javits Frimpong Tragic Death

• US Congressman Ritchie Torres spoke out after 15-year-old Ghanaian boy Javits Frimpong was shot dead near Crotona Park in the Bronx
• Javits Frimpong had moved from Ghana to New York just one year ago to live with his father and start a new life
• Torres urged anyone with information about the incident to contact NYPD Crime Stoppers as investigators continue their work

A 15-year-old Ghanaian boy, Javits Frimpong, was shot and killed near Crotona Park in the Bronx, New York, on Thursday, October 29, 2026, while making his way to school.

The teenager moved from Ghana just a year earlier to be with his father, Thomas, and build a new life in America.

Bronx Congressman Ritchie Torres broke his silence on the tragedy the following morning, sharing a heartfelt statement on X that drew widespread attention to the teenager's death and the grief consuming his community.

Torres calls for justice over Javits's death

Read also

"KNUST is like MIT": Mr Eazi fiercely defends alma mater in heated school debate, video emerges

In his post, Torres described the shooting and the life Javits Frimpong had only just begun in New York, writing:

"Yesterday morning, 15-year-old Javits Frimpong was shot and killed near Crotona Park on his way to school. Javits came to the Bronx from Ghana just a year ago to join his father and begin a new life here. Our entire borough is mourning a young man who should have had his whole future ahead of him."

The congressman also acknowledged the quick response of officers from the 42nd Precinct, who transported Javits to St. Barnabas Hospital in a desperate effort to save his life. Despite their efforts, the teenager did not survive.

Torres was direct in his call for accountability, urging members of the public to come forward with any information that could assist the investigation.

"Those responsible must be held accountable, and I urge anyone with information to call NYPD Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS," he wrote.

Ritchie Torres comforts Javits' father

At the heart of the statement was a deeply personal appeal for Javits' father.

Read also

Javits Frimpong: Ghanaian teen dies on way to school in the Bronx a year after moving to US

Torres wrote:

"Every child in the Bronx deserves to walk to school without fearing for their life, and no parent should ever have to endure what Javits's father, Thomas, is enduring now. My heart is with him and with everyone in Claremont grieving today."

The death of the Ghanaian teenager has reignited conversations about the safety of children in the Bronx, particularly along the routes they travel to school each day.

For Thomas Frimpong, who welcomed his son to the United States hoping to give him a better future, the loss has been devastating.

The circumstances surrounding Javits' killing remain under investigation, and authorities have appealed to anyone with knowledge of the incident to assist police by reaching out to NYPD Crime Stoppers.

The X post by Ritchie Torres is below.

Ghana government reacts to Javits' death

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported on the Ghana government’s response to the death of 15-year-old Javits Frimpong in the Bronx, including its outreach to his family and coordination with US authorities.

Read also

Toluwanisings’ burial plans face fresh hurdle as lawyer weighs in on family dispute

Ghana’s foreign affairs minister said he personally conveyed the government’s condolences to Javits’s father. Officials from Ghana’s Permanent Mission in New York have visited the family and are working with local authorities as the government seeks justice.

Source: YEN.com.gh