US President Donald Trump has agreed to grant an immediate visa to the mother of 15-year-old Ghanaian boy Javits Frimpong, who was fatally shot while walking to school in New York, according to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Mamdani announced the development on Saturday, October 31, following a telephone conversation with Trump. He said the president had agreed to facilitate the mother’s travel from Ghana so she could see her son and say a final goodbye.
“The murder of a child is a pain no parent should have to endure, let alone from thousands of miles away,” Mamdani wrote in a post on X, adding that Frimpong’s mother deserved to mourn her son in person.
Frimpong was shot in the abdomen shortly before 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 29, while walking to school in the Bronx. He was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The teenager had moved from Ghana to New York about a year ago to live with his father, Thomas Frimpong, while his mother remained in Ghana. His father told reporters that he had recently been informed by the school principal that two students had been suspended over alleged bullying involving his son. However, police have not established a motive for the shooting.
No arrests had been announced as of November 1, and investigators were still searching for those responsible. Police have not publicly confirmed a link between the reported bullying and the killing.
Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa, welcomed the intervention and said Ghanaian officials were assisting the mother, Doris Adu Gyamfi, with the visa process. He also announced that the Ghanaian government would cover her travel expenses and was prepared to support arrangements for her son’s funeral.
Meanwhile, the tragedy has prompted renewed calls from community leaders and officials for action against youth violence and stronger protection for students abroad.