Photo of the late young boy, Javits Frimpong
Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie, US rapper Cardi B and Ghanaian-American comedian Michael Blackson are among the stars speaking out after 15-year-old Ghanaian student Javits Frimpong was shot dead on his way to school in the Bronx, New York. Bronx-born rapper A Boogie wit da Hoodie also stopped one of his shows to lead a moment of silence for the teenager.
The killing has hit Ghanaians at home and abroad hard. Javits had moved from Ghana to the United States only about a year ago to live with his father.
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Javits Frimpong’s father speaks to FOX 5 New York after the shooting.
What Happened to Javits Frimpong
Police say Javits was shot once just before 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 29, 2026, near East 171st Street in the Claremont area of the Bronx. He was walking to school at the time.
He was a student at DreamYard Preparatory School. Reports say he was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The New York Police Department is looking for three teenage boys aged between 16 and 18. They were last seen wearing all-black clothing and blue surgical masks. As of the latest reports, no arrests had been made, and police had not said what led to the shooting.
Father Says Son Was Bullied
Javits lived with his father, Thomas Frimpong, a 60-year-old taxi driver. Speaking to CBS News New York, he described his son as “my everything.”
He said the school principal had called him days before the shooting about a fight involving Javits and two other boys, who were later suspended. According to his father, Javits had complained of being bullied at lunch.
The family believes the shooting is linked to the bullying, but authorities have not confirmed whether bullying played any part. The father has also appealed to the suspects to turn themselves in.
Cardi B: “I Would Never Raise a Kid in the Bronx”
Cardi B, who grew up in the Bronx, reacted strongly to the news. She said the killing is the reason she would never raise a child in the Bronx, Harlem, Washington Heights or in a New York public school.
She described life in those areas as “a game of survival.” The rapper also questioned how a young person could wake up and decide to kill someone who had not wronged them.
Cardi B went further, advising New Yorkers who plan to have children to move out of the city, saying young people there have become too aggressive.
Sarkodie Calls the Death “Unfortunate and Scary”
Ghanaian rap star Sarkodie shared his thoughts in a post on X on October 31. He sent his condolences to Javits’s family, especially his mother and father.
The “Adonai” hitmaker said he is proud of how children are raised in Ghana and across Africa, even in tough neighbourhoods. He noted that murder is still treated as major news in Ghana, while such killings seem to have become regular in some parts of the West.
Sarkodie said this makes many Ghanaians feel unsafe abroad. He also urged Black parents to do better in raising their children and teaching them good values.
Michael Blackson Shares His Own Bullying Story
Comedian Michael Blackson, who was born in Ghana, said the news broke his heart. In a series of posts, he recalled being bullied as a young African immigrant in Newark, New Jersey, in the late 1980s.
He said he was once punched for getting good grades, and that his principal walked him to the bus stop every day after he reported it. He added that he was the only African in his school at the time.
Blackson said the teenager’s photos moved him to tears. He called on the parents of the suspects to speak up and announced plans to visit high schools to talk to foreign-born students about bullying.
“This Has to Stop”
His message to everyone following the case was clear: the violence and bullying have to stop.
A Boogie Pauses Concert for Javits
Bronx rapper A Boogie wit da Hoodie also paid tribute during a concert. A video shared online shows him speaking to the crowd as a photo of Javits appeared on a big screen.
He told fans that Javits had come from Africa to America about a year ago and had died from a gunshot wound. He then asked the crowd for a moment of silence.
Government and Community Reactions
Ghana’s government has sent its condolences, and its diplomats in New York are working with US authorities on the case. Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa is among officials who have condemned the killing and called for swift justice.
In the Bronx, religious leaders organised a vigil at the spot where Javits collapsed. Family members, neighbours and parents who have also lost children to violence attended to pray and call for an end to youth violence.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani posted on X on Saturday that Javits’s mother would be granted a visa immediately so she can travel to New York.
The NYC Department of Education said in a statement: “Our hearts are with this young person’s family and school community during this unimaginably difficult time.”
Quick Facts
- Victim: Javits Frimpong, 15, Ghanaian student
- School: DreamYard Preparatory School, Bronx
- Date: Thursday, October 29, 2026, just before 9:30 a.m.
- Location: Near East 171st Street, Claremont, Bronx, New York
- Suspects: Three teenage boys aged 16–18 (no arrests reported yet)
- Celebrities reacting: Sarkodie, Cardi B, Michael Blackson, A Boogie wit da Hoodie
Final Word
Javits Frimpong came to America for a better life, but his journey ended far too soon. As the police search continues, his family, the Ghanaian community and many stars, from Sarkodie to Cardi B, are calling for justice and an end to bullying and youth violence. Halmblog will update this story as more details become available.
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