The department said the arrest reflects its commitment to removing violent offenders from city streets. "The NYPD will be relentless in our efforts to get dangerous people out of our communities, especially when it involves the murder of a 15-year-old boy," the department said in a statement.
Frimpong was shot once in the stomach just before 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 29, near East 171st Street and Crotona Place in the Claremont section of the Bronx, according to police. He was walking to school at the time. Officers took him to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police previously said that three teenagers approached Frimpong while trying to conceal their identities. He ran, dropping his backpack as he fled, and collapsed about a block away. In the days after the killing, the NYPD said it was searching for three teenage boys. Police have not said whether additional arrests are expected.
A new life, cut short
Frimpong, a native of Ghana, moved to New York about a year ago to live with his father, Thomas Frimpong, a taxi driver who came to the city in 2000. His mother remained in Ghana.
His father has said publicly that his son was being bullied at school. He told reporters that, three days before the shooting, the school principal called to say two students had fought with Javits and had been suspended for a week, and that Javits had been defending himself. Police have not established a motive and have not confirmed any link between the bullying and the shooting.
A borough in mourning
The killing drew grief well beyond the Claremont block where it happened. Neighbors built a memorial of candles at the corner where Frimpong fell, and community members held a vigil to support his older brother and family. Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson visited the memorial and called for action on youth violence, while Rep. Ritchie Torres urged anyone with information to contact NYPD Crime Stoppers. Ghana's government also reached out to the family.
The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call NYPD Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).
Africa Team