New York City police have arrested a 17-year-old suspect in connection with the ᴅᴇᴀᴅly shooting of Javits Frimpong, a 15-year-old Ghanaian student who was killed while walking to school last month. The arrest was announced on November 11, 2026, by the NYPD.

Javits Frimpong was sH๏τ in the abdomen around 9:25 a.m. on October 29 near East 171st Street and Third Avenue in the Claremont section of the Bronx. He had been walking to DreamYard Preparatory School when the attack occurred. Surveillance video captured the wounded teenager running before he collapsed. He was taken to a hospital, where he later died.

The suspect, identified by law enforcement sources as Thierno Jalloh, was taken into custody by the NYPD Violent Crimes Task Force. He faces charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter, and criminal possession of a weapon. He was ordered held without bail following his arraignment in Bronx Criminal Court. Authorities noted that the teenager did not attend the same school as Frimpong.

Investigators are still seeking two additional suspects. Three young males dressed in black, believed to be between 16 and 18 years old, were seen fleeing the area after the shooting.

Police have not publicly confirmed a motive. Family members and investigators have pointed to reports of bullying at school as one possible factor under review. Javits’ father, Thomas Frimpong, said his quiet son had been involved in a fight with two other students shortly before the killing, and those students were suspended. The school principal had contacted the family about the incident just two days prior. NYPD officials have stated that bullying is one of several angles being examined, alongside other possibilities. Detectives have emphasized that there is no indication Javits was involved in gang activity. He was described as a focused student who did his homework diligently and aspired to become a doctor and serve in the military.

Javits had moved to the United States from Ghana to continue his education and live with his father. His mother, Doris Adu Gyamfi, was able to travel to New York after Mayor Zohran Mamdani appealed to President Donald Trump for an emergency visa. At an emotional press conference held the same day as the arrest, alongside the Rev. Al Sharpton and attorney Ben Crump, she tearfully called for justice, saying she had only one child. Javits’ sister Millicent, a military veteran, read from her brother’s journal, in which he expressed pride in being in the United States and listed his family and friends.

Family members welcomed the arrest but stressed that more accountability is needed. An uncle of the victim stated that everyone involved should face murder charges. NYPD officials and the Detectives Endowment ᴀssociation praised the investigators for their persistent work in the case.

The case remains under active investigation as authorities continue searching for the remaining suspects.