Doris Adu Gyamfi flies to US to plan Javits Frimpong's funeral

Police seek three teenage suspects in the fatal Bronx shooting

Doris Adu Gyamfi left Ghana for the United States to plan the funeral of her 15-year-old son, Javits Frimpong, after he was fatally shot on his way to school in the Bronx. Gyamfi said at the airport before her departure, “I want justice for my son.” BBC News reported that President Donald Trump granted her an emergency visa for the trip.

Gyamfi said her son had dreamt of becoming a medical doctor. Frimpong had been in the United States for only a year when he was chased down and shot on Thursday morning last week while on his way to school in the Bronx, New York. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Gyamfi was escorted to the airport by relatives and Dr Erieka Bennett, Head of Mission of the African Diaspora Forum. “I’m going to America to plan my son’s funeral,” she said. She thanked the government and well-wishers for their support and prayers following Frimpong’s death.

In a social media post on Saturday, New York mayor Zohran Mamdani said Trump had agreed to grant the visa so Gyamfi could mourn her son in person. Mamdani said the murder of a child was a pain no parent should endure, “let alone from thousands of miles away.”

“Javits Frimpong’s mother deserves to say goodbye to her son in person. I just got off the phone with President Trump, and he has agreed to grant her visa immediately,” Mamdani said. “All of New York City is mourning this tragedy,” he added.

Police had made no arrests, and an investigation was ongoing. Authorities were searching for three teenage boys who fled the scene, and surveillance footage captured images of the three boys.

BBC News reported that Frimpong’s death had sparked outrage in Ghana and the United States and reignited debate about gun violence in America. The case also raised concern among Ghanaians about the safety of children sent to study in the United States.

Ghana’s government condemned the killing and said it was following the case closely to ensure justice. It urged US authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and said it was ready to provide legal and consular support to ensure the perpetrators were brought to justice.