Police in New York have arrested and charged a 17-year-old boy with the murder of 15-year-old Ghanaian student Javits Frimpong, who was shot dead in the Bronx last month.
According to US media reports, officers arrested the teenager at his Bronx residence on Wednesday, November 11, before taking him to the NYPD’s 42nd Precinct for questioning.
Authorities have not publicly identified the suspect, who is facing charges of murder, manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon.
Police had initially been searching for three teenage boys in connection with the killing, and investigators say further arrests could follow. They have also not established whether the suspect knew Frimpong.
The arrest came just hours before lawyers representing Frimpong’s family held a press conference in Harlem to demand justice for the teenager.
The fatal shooting occurred on October 29 near Crotona Park in the Bronx. Police responded to the scene at about 9.24am and found Frimpong with a gunshot wound to his stomach.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Security camera footage from the area, reviewed by TNX Africa, reportedly showed Frimpong fleeing as a person dressed in black pursued him. Separate video clips appeared to show masked individuals in dark clothing running away from the scene.
