Javits Frimpong, 15, was fatally shot in Claremont, and police have not announced a motive or made any arrests.
NEW YORK CITY, NY — A 15-year-old boy died after being shot Thursday morning in the Claremont section of the Bronx, prompting a search for three teenagers seen leaving the area as detectives work to determine what led to the killing, authorities and local news reports said.
The victim was identified as Javits Frimpong, a Bronx resident who lived a short distance from the scene. Police responded shortly before 9:30 a.m. Oct. 29 near East 171st Street and Crotona Place after receiving a report of a person shot. Officers found Frimpong with a gunshot wound to his abdomen and took him to St. Barnabas Hospital. He was initially reported in stable condition but later died. No arrests had been announced as the investigation continued.
Investigators were searching for three teenage males believed to be between 16 and 18 years old, according to multiple reports citing police and law enforcement sources. They were described as wearing dark clothing, and some reports said they had blue surgical masks. The group was last seen fleeing south toward the Crotona Park area. Police had not publicly identified the teenagers or said whether any of them had been formally designated as suspects as of Friday.
Frimpong’s father, Thomas Frimpong, said his son was on his way to school when the shooting occurred. The teenager attended DreamYard Preparatory School. His father told reporters that Javits had recently complained about being bullied and that school officials had told him students were suspended following problems involving his son. A school bus aide also told CBS New York that he was aware of at least two students being suspended for bullying Javits.
Thomas Frimpong said he believed the problems at school could be connected to his son’s death, but police have not established that link and have not publicly announced a motive. Investigators have not said whether the students involved in the reported school incidents are among the people being sought. The distinction remains important as detectives review surveillance footage, speak with witnesses and try to establish what happened before the gunfire.
Surveillance footage aired by local television stations showed a teenager running through the neighborhood while another person dressed in dark clothing followed. Additional footage appeared to show people leaving the area after the shooting. Police have not publicly released findings that establish the roles of everyone seen in the recordings, and the investigation remains open.
Relatives said Javits had moved to the United States from Ghana in 2025. Family members and community leaders remembered him as a quiet student with ambitions for his future. ABC7 reported that relatives said he hoped to become a doctor. His father described him as a clever boy who regularly attended school and largely kept to himself.
Family members, religious leaders and neighbors gathered Friday for a vigil as the investigation continued. The gathering came as relatives prepared to mourn a teenager who had been living in New York for about a year. His father has called for those responsible to surrender to police and for authorities to bring those responsible for the shooting to justice.
Police had made no arrests by Friday night and had not announced a confirmed motive. Detectives continued searching for the people seen fleeing the area and examining evidence from the scene. Authorities asked anyone with information about the shooting to contact the NYPD as the investigation into Frimpong’s death remained ongoing.
Author note: Last updated October 31, 2026.