New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani says President Donald Trump has agreed to grant an immediate visa to the mother of 15-year-old Javits Frimpong, a Ghanaian student who was shot and killed while walking to school in the Bronx on Thursday, October 29.
The announcement came Saturday, October 31, after Mamdani spoke directly with Trump by phone. The mayor said the decision would allow Frimpong’s mother, who lives in Ghana, to travel to New York and say goodbye to her son.
“The murder of a child is a pain no parent should have to endure, let alone from thousands of miles away,” Mamdani wrote on X.
He continued, “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. All of New York City is mourning this tragedy.”
Frimpong had moved from Ghana to the Bronx about a year ago to live with his father, Thomas Frimpong. On Thursday morning, the teenager was on his way to DreamYard Preparatory School when he was shot near East 171st Street and Crotona Place in the Claremont neighborhood.
According to police, the shooting happened shortly before 9:30 a.m. Frimpong was struck once in the abdomen and rushed to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
His father has since spoken publicly about concerns that his son had been bullied at school. Thomas Frimpong said two students had recently been suspended following incidents involving his son. However, investigators have not confirmed whether bullying played a role in the shooting.
Police are searching for three teenage males who were reportedly last seen wearing dark clothing and masks. No arrests have been announced, and the motive remains under investigation.
Meanwhile, Frimpong’s mother, Doris Adu Gyamfi, has been grieving from Kumasi, Ghana, thousands of miles away from where her son was killed.
Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said he had spoken with the grieving mother and directed officials to assist with the visa process. He also announced that the Ghanaian government would cover her travel expenses and contribute toward her son’s funeral.
The announcement from Mamdani offers the family a chance to reunite during an incredibly painful time. However, the mayor’s statement did not confirm whether the visa had already been issued or when Frimpong’s mother would arrive in New York.
Community members and elected officials have gathered for vigils in the Bronx to remember the teenager and support his family.
As his loved ones prepare to lay him to rest, questions remain about what led to the shooting and who is responsible for his death. The investigation continues.
