Trump Agrees to Visa for Mother of Ghanaian Teen Killed in Bronx
Mayor Zohran Mamdani says President Trump agreed to grant a visa so the mother of 15-year-old Javits Frimpong can attend his funeral. The shooting remains unsolved.
President Donald Trump has agreed to grant a U.S. visa to the mother of Javits Frimpong, a 15-year-old immigrant from Ghana who was shot and killed in the Bronx last week, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Saturday. The decision would let Doris Adu Gyamfi travel from Ghana to say goodbye to her son in person. No arrest has been made in the killing, which police say remains under investigation.
What happened
Frimpong was walking to school in a Bronx neighborhood shortly before 9:30 a.m. Thursday when he was shot in the abdomen, according to New York City Police. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.
Mamdani announced the visa agreement in a post on X, writing that he had just spoken with the president by phone. “The murder of a child is a pain no parent should have to endure, let alone from thousands of miles away,” the mayor wrote. Fox News Digital reported that it had asked the White House for comment.
Frimpong came to the Bronx from Ghana about a year ago to live with his father, U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., said. His father, Thomas Frimpong, told reporters his son was quiet and that he had learned only days before the shooting that the boy was being bullied at school. The principal, he said, had suspended two students for disturbing his son. “My son is at school. He’s innocent, so I call him. I talk with my son, he said ‘dad, I’m okay,'” Thomas Frimpong recalled.
Ghana’s foreign minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said on X that Ghanaian officials in New York are coordinating with local authorities and that his ministry will work with U.S. authorities to pursue justice. He welcomed Mamdani’s intervention and Trump’s “timely decision” on the visa, and said Ghana’s government will cover the full cost of Adu Gyamfi’s travel and is ready to help pay for a dignified funeral.
Why it matters
The visa agreement is a rare point of cooperation between Trump and Mamdani, who the source describes as having clashed politically for months. It also puts a national spotlight on gun violence in the Bronx and on the safety of children walking to school.
The case is likely to keep drawing attention because it combines several sensitive threads: an immigrant family’s loss, an unresolved shooting, and a parent’s report of bullying that preceded the killing. Whether the bullying has any connection to the shooting is not established in the source.
Key facts at a glance
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Victim | Javits Frimpong, 15, from Ghana |
| When | Shortly before 9:30 a.m. Thursday |
| Where | A Bronx neighborhood, on his way to school |
| Injury | Shot in the abdomen; died at a hospital |
| Suspects | No arrests; investigation ongoing |
| Visa decision | Trump agreed to grant a visa to the mother, per Mamdani |
| Travel costs | Ghana’s government says it will cover them |
What this means for you
- If you are following the case, the visa decision means the funeral can likely include the victim’s mother, though the White House has not confirmed the agreement in the source.
- Residents of the Bronx have no new safety guidance from this report; the shooting is unsolved and police have not announced a suspect description.
- Families dealing with bullying reports can note that the father says the school had already suspended two students, but the source does not say whether that action was connected to the shooting.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Javits Frimpong?
He was a 15-year-old who moved from Ghana to the Bronx about a year ago to live with his father. He was shot while heading to school and died at a hospital.
Has anyone been arrested?
No. Police say no arrests have been made and the investigation continues.
Did Trump confirm the visa decision?
The source does not include a White House confirmation. The account comes from Mamdani, who said he spoke with Trump by phone.
Who is paying for the mother’s travel?
Ghana’s foreign minister said his government will cover the full cost of Doris Adu Gyamfi’s travel and is ready to contribute to funeral costs.
What to watch next
Whether the White House confirms the visa agreement, and whether police announce an arrest or a suspect in the shooting. The source does not give a timeline for either.
- Mamdani says Trump agreed by phone to grant a visa to the mother of 15-year-old Javits Frimpong.
- Frimpong was shot in the abdomen while walking to school Thursday morning and later died.
- No arrests have been made; Ghana's government says it will pay the mother's travel costs.
