US President Donald Trump has agreed to facilitate a visa for the Ghanaian mother of Javits Frimpong, a teenager killed while walking to school in New York.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Mr Trump’s intervention on Saturday, as Ghana demanded justice for 15-year-old Frimpong, whose killing has shaken the Bronx.
“The murder of a child is a pain no parent should have to endure, let alone from thousands of miles away,” Mr Mamdani declared.
The mayor said Mr Trump agreed during their telephone conversation to grant a visa immediately to the teenager’s mother, Doris Gyamfi, who lives in Kumasi, Ghana.
However, the White House had not independently confirmed the arrangement, and it remained unclear whether the visa had been issued by Saturday evening.
Mr Frimpong was shot in the abdomen in the morning in the Bronx neighbourhood.
Police officers rushed him to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, while investigators began searching for three suspected teenage assailants.
The teenager had moved from Ghana in October 2025 to reunite with his father, Thomas Frimpong, hoping to pursue his education and build a promising future.
“He was very clever, so he always says he wants to be a physician,” his grieving father told newsmen in New York.
The elder Frimpong said his son had complained of persistent bullying at DreamYard Preparatory School, where two students were reportedly suspended, although police have not established any connection between the bullying and the killing.
Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, subsequently contacted the bereaved father, conveying condolences from President John Dramani Mahama and promising government support.
“We will pursue justice, and we will make sure that those who did this do not get away with it,” Mr Ablakwa declared.
Ghanaian diplomats in New York visited the family, while the government demanded a thorough investigation and pledged legal and consular assistance to secure accountability.
Following Mr Mamdani’s announcement, Mr Ablakwa welcomed Mr Trump’s intervention and disclosed that Ghana would finance the mother’s travel, assist with visa arrangements and support funeral expenses.
“The Government of Ghana welcomes your intervention and President Trump’s timely decision,” Mr Ablakwa said, acknowledging the cooperation between the American and Ghanaian authorities.
Bronx Congressman Ritchie Torres also expressed grief, saying: “Our entire borough is mourning a young man who should have had his whole future ahead of him.”
The New York City Department of Education offered counselling and cooperation with investigators, stating: “Our hearts are with this young person’s family and school community during this unimaginably difficult time.”
Meanwhile, vigils brought together Ghanaian residents, religious leaders and neighbours on Saturday to demand justice as police continued investigating the killing without announcing any arrests or establishing a motive.
(NAN)