'I'm OK': Javits Frimpong Reassured His Dad After Reported Bullying Before Fatal Bronx Shooting

Javits Frimpong told his father 'dad, I'm OK' after the school principal reportedly said two pupils had been suspended over bullying complaints. Days later, the 15-year-old Ghanaian student was shot dead while walking to school in the Bronx, New York, on Thursday, 29 October.

Thomas Frimpong described the earlier conversation in an interview with The Associated Press. Police were searching for three teenagers in connection with the shooting. Investigators have not established whether the reported bullying was linked to his son's death.

Javits had moved from Ghana to join his father in New York about a year earlier. He attended DreamYard Preparatory School and was shot in the abdomen shortly before 9.30am near East 171st Street and Crotona Place.

Police took him to St Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Javits Frimpong's Father Describes Reported Bullying at School

Thomas said he learnt from the school principal several days before the shooting that two boys had been troubling his son. 'It was the principal who told me,' he said. According to his account, the principal informed him that the pupils had been suspended.

He then telephoned Javits to check on him. The conversation took place several days before the killing, according to his father's account. Thomas described his son as a quiet teenager who generally kept to himself.

In a separate interview with CBS News New York, Thomas recalled Javits describing harassment during the school lunch break. 'Dad, anytime I am going to lunch, that guy keep on bullying me,' he quoted his son as saying.

A school bus attendant also told the broadcaster that two pupils had recently been suspended over bullying complaints.

The reported suspensions have not been independently confirmed by the school. Thomas has said he believes the killing may have been connected to the alleged bullying, but the New York Police Department has not established that connection.

His suspicions do not constitute evidence that either of the reportedly suspended pupils was involved in the shooting.

The New York City Department of Education said it was providing counselling and other support for pupils, families and staff while assisting the police investigation. Its public response did not confirm what disciplinary measures, if any, the school had taken before Javits was killed.

Police Search for Three Teenagers After Javits Frimpong Shooting

Police responded to reports of a shooting near Crotona Park shortly before 9.30am on 29 October.

Surveillance footage obtained by local broadcasters showed Javits running as a person dressed in dark clothing appeared to chase him. The footage does not independently establish the identity of the person shown or their involvement in the killing.

Investigators said they were seeking three teenagers seen fleeing towards nearby Crotona Park. At the time of publication, police had not announced any arrests or identified a motive for the shooting.

Authorities had also not publicly established any connection between the three teenagers sought in the investigation and the pupils reportedly suspended from Javits's school.

The killing prompted vigils and a community rally in the Bronx. Religious leaders, relatives and residents gathered to mourn the teenager and call for action against youth violence.

US Representative Ritchie Torres said the borough was mourning a boy 'who should have had his whole future ahead of him'.

The tragedy has also drawn attention to the bullying allegations raised by Javits's father. However, investigators have not confirmed whether those complaints had any bearing on the attack. The school's reported response to the bullying and the criminal investigation remain separate matters.

Javits Frimpong's Family Seeks Justice as Mother Awaits Visa

Javits's mother, who remained in Ghana, sought permission to travel to New York to say goodbye to her son. On Saturday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he had spoken with President Donald Trump, who had agreed to grant Javits's mother a visa immediately.

The mayor's official statement did not independently confirm that the visa had been issued.

'The murder of a child is a pain no parent should have to endure, let alone from thousands of miles away,' Mamdani said.

Ghana's Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said Ghanaian officials in New York were coordinating with local authorities. He also pledged to work with US officials to secure justice for the family.

The mother's travel arrangements remained unconfirmed in the available reports.

Meanwhile, Thomas Frimpong has appealed to police to help him 'find justice for my son'. His account of the reported bullying has raised questions about what happened at school before the fatal shooting, although authorities have not established a connection.

As of the latest published reports, police were still seeking three teenagers, with no arrests confirmed. Investigators had not publicly identified a motive, and the reported school suspensions remained unverified by the institution.

For Thomas Frimpong, the investigation continues as his family mourns a son who had moved to New York in search of a better future. His account of Javits's earlier reassurance remains part of the family's recollection of the days before the killing, while police continue working to establish who was responsible.