Cardi B Accuses Social Media Users of Turning Javits Frimpong's Death Into 'Rage Bait'

Rapper Cardi B has accused a social media user of turning the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Ghanaian student Javits Frimpong into 'rage bait,' claiming clips from her livestream were cut up to encourage attacks on celebrities and distract from the teenager's death.

The musician made the accusation in an Instagram post addressed to a user named Kyle, after extracts from her broadcast about bullying in New York schools circulated online. She said the footage had been used to fuel hostility towards her and other celebrities.

Frimpong was shot while walking to school in the Bronx on 29 October 2026. His father, Thomas Frimpong, has said his son experienced bullying at school, although investigators have not established whether it was connected to the killing.

Cardi B Links Bullying To Gang Culture

During the livestream, Cardi B said she would not want to raise her children in the Bronx, Harlem or Washington Heights, citing concerns about violence and bullying. Drawing on her Bronx upbringing, she said repeated harassment could leave young people feeling they needed protection from a group or gang.

She also discussed children from immigrant backgrounds being singled out because of their accents, clothing or unfamiliarity with their surroundings. She urged parents to take bullying seriously and teach their children to treat others with kindness.

In her later post, Cardi B addressed Kyle, saying that as a gay Black man he should understand how people could be targeted, bullied and left without protection. She wrote: 'What happened to Javits is very serious' and accused the account of using the tragedy for 'rage bait.'

Father Says Son Had Reported Bullying

Frimpong moved from Ghana to New York about a year before his death to live with his father. He attended DreamYard Preparatory School in the Bronx.

Speaking to local media, Thomas said his son had complained about being bullied, including during lunchtime. He said the school principal had told him that two pupils involved in an earlier confrontation with Javits had been suspended.

Thomas believes the shooting may have been connected to those incidents. Police have not confirmed a link between the alleged bullying and the teenager's death.

NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said on 2 November that investigators were examining whether bullying played a role. He said detectives were also considering other possible explanations, including a robbery that went wrong or mistaken identity.

Kenny said investigators were seeking information from New York City's Department of Education on the allegations. He said the department had not provided the records without a subpoena. Police were searching for three teenage boys over the shooting. No arrests had been announced in the reports available at the time.

Ghana Government Pledges Support To Family

Ghana's Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, spoke with Thomas and pledged support. Officials from Ghana's diplomatic mission in New York also visited the family.

On 2 November, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister James Gyakye Quayson met Frimpong's mother, Doris Adu Gyamfi, in Ghana. He offered condolences and reaffirmed the government's commitment to supporting the family through its US mission.

Frimpong's killing remains under investigation, and police have yet to establish a motive.