Jawits Frimpong, a 15-year-old originally from Ghana, was fatally shot Thursday on his way to school in the Bronx, New York. The attack took place near Corona Park, where the teenager was reportedly being chased by an armed assailant. The New York Police Department (NYPD) is looking for three teenage boys who may be connected to the shooting. No one has been arrested so far.
An NYPD spokesperson said officers received a report of a shooting Thursday morning. At about 9:24 a.m., they found the 15-year-old with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. The boy was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Surveillance footage reportedly shows Frimpong running from a person dressed in black. Another shot is said to have captured masked people in dark clothing leaving the scene.
The teenager’s father, Thomas Frimpong, told reporters that his son had come to New York from Ghana just a year earlier. He described him as “a quiet and bright boy.” According to his father, Jawits had previously been bullied by other students at DreamYard school.
The school’s principal had recently informed the family that two students had been suspended in connection with the harassment of the 15-year-old. The school did not respond to attempts to reach it, and police declined to comment on a possible link between the reported bullying and the killing.
The teenager’s death sparked a strong reaction among the Ghanaian diaspora in the U.S. Ghana’s foreign minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, also addressed the case. “We will pursue justice and make sure that those who did this do not escape punishment,” said the head of Ghana’s diplomacy.
Ed. JŁ
Source: Nowy Dziennik
