United States President Donald Trump has agreed to facilitate a visa for the Ghanaian mother of Javits Frimpong, a 15-year-old boy killed while walking to school in New York.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Trump’s intervention on Saturday, as Ghana demanded justice for the teenager, whose killing has shaken the Bronx community.
“The murder of a child is a pain no parent should have to endure, let alone from thousands of miles away,” Mamdani said.
The mayor said Trump agreed during a telephone conversation to grant an immediate visa 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.
Frimpong was reportedly shot in the abdomen in the morning in a Bronx neighbourhood. Police officers rushed him to St Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Investigators have launched a search for three suspected teenage assailants. No arrests had been announced, and police had not established a motive for the killing as of Saturday.
The teenager moved from Ghana in October 2025 to reunite with his father, Thomas Frimpong, hoping to pursue his education and build a promising future in the United States.
“He was very clever, so he always says he wants to be a physician,” the grieving father told newsmen in New York.
The elder Frimpong said his son had complained of persistent bullying at DreamYard Preparatory School. He said two students had reportedly been suspended over the matter, although police have not established any connection between the bullying and the killing.
Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, contacted the bereaved father to convey condolences from President John Dramani Mahama and promised government support.
“We will pursue justice, and we will make sure that those who did this do not get away with it,” Ablakwa said.
Ghanaian diplomats in New York have visited the family, while the government has demanded a thorough investigation and pledged legal and consular assistance to secure accountability.
Following Mamdani’s announcement, Ablakwa welcomed 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,” Ablakwa said, acknowledging cooperation between the American and Ghanaian authorities.
Bronx Congressman Ritchie Torres also expressed grief over the teenager’s death, saying the entire borough was 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, saying its thoughts were with the teenager’s family and school community during the difficult period.
Meanwhile, vigils brought together Ghanaian residents, religious leaders and neighbours demanding justice on Saturday as police continued investigating the killing.