A 17-year-old boy has been charged with murder, manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon over the death of Javits Frimpong, the 15-year-old Ghanaian immigrant shot dead in the Bronx, New York, on his way to school.
The New York Police Department announced the charges on Wednesday, November 11, hours after the teen was taken into custody. ABC7 New York reports that police picked him up for questioning at his Bronx home on Wednesday morning and took him to the 42nd Precinct. Police have not named him because of his age.
Ghana's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Samuel Yao Kumah, told 3News the charges include intentional murder, manslaughter, second-degree murder and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon.
Javits was shot in the stomach on the morning of October 29 near East 171st Street in the Claremont section of the Bronx. Investigators had been searching for three teens who fled in black sweatsuits and surgical masks, and ABC7 reports that police have not ruled out further arrests. No motive has been confirmed.
His father, Thomas Frimpong, has said his son was being bullied at school and believes this is linked to the killing. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said last week that the alleged bullying was "one aspect" investigators were looking at.
Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, who represents the family, told a press conference on Wednesday that those responsible must be "held fully accountable under the law."
Ambassador Kumah urged Ghanaians in the US to stay law-abiding and vigilant, and to report bullying to the police. He said Ghana's Permanent Mission and Consulate have given the family consular support and will keep working with them ahead of the funeral, scheduled for Friday, November 20.
What we still don't know: the suspect's motive, whether others will be charged, and when he will next appear in court.