A 17-year-old charged in the killing of Javits Badu Nkansah Frimpong, the 15-year-old Ghanaian student shot dead on his way to school in the Bronx, New York, has appeared in court, and the New York Post reported he was held without bail.
He appeared in Bronx Criminal Court on Wednesday evening, November 11, the Post reported from the courtroom. 3News carried the Post's account.
He faces charges including murder, manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon, the New York Police Department said, according to NBC New York. The Post reported that the murder charge is second-degree.
NBC New York reported he was expected to make his first appearance in youth court on Thursday, November 12; the Post called it Family Youth Court. GhEcho has not yet seen the outcome of that hearing. His lawyer, from the Bronx Defenders, declined to comment after Wednesday's hearing, the Post reported.
Police are still looking for two more suspects, according to law enforcement sources cited by the Post and the PIX11 reporter. Police have previously said three people were involved in the attack.
Because he is a minor, GhEcho is not naming the 17-year-old. The charges are accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
What happened
Javits, a Grade 10 pupil at DreamYard Preparatory School, was shot in the stomach on the morning of Thursday, October 29, near East 171st Street in the Claremont section of the Bronx. He died in hospital.
His father, Thomas Frimpong, has said his son was bullied at school and believes it is linked to the killing. Police have not disclosed a motive, and law enforcement sources say the suspect did not attend the same school, the Post and NBC New York reported.
Family seeks justice
"I need justice for my child," Javits' mother, Doris Adu Gyamfi, said at a news conference in Harlem on Wednesday with family lawyer Ben Crump and the Rev. Al Sharpton, the Post and NBC New York reported. She travelled from Ghana after New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani asked President Donald Trump to help with her visa, both outlets said.
Separately, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday, November 10, that the Government of Ghana would engage Mr Crump at no cost to the taxpayer to help seek justice for Ghanaians killed in the United States in recent months.
Javits' funeral is scheduled for Friday, November 20, in the Bronx, 3News and Adomonline have reported. He had moved from Ghana about a year ago to live with his father.
GhEcho will update this story as the case proceeds.