President John Dramani Mahama has urged the United States to confront its persistent gun violence problem following the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Ghanaian teenager Javits Badu Nkansah Frimpong in the Bronx, New York.
Speaking to the Presidential Press Corps on Thursday, November 5, Mahama described the teenager’s death as heartbreaking and said the tragedy highlights wider concerns surrounding firearms and violent crime in American society.
Javits was shot in the abdomen on October 29, 2026, while walking to DreamYard Preparatory School in the Bronx. Police officers transported him to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation by the New York Police Department. Mahama acknowledged reports that bullying may have played a role but stressed that investigators have yet to establish exactly what led to the teenager’s killing.
The Ghanaian leader used the tragedy to raise broader concerns about the availability of firearms in the United States.
“I think that one of the issues America has to deal with is the level of gun violence in the society,” Mahama said.
He also highlighted mental health pressures as another challenge that authorities and society must take seriously, warning that psychological distress is not always visible before tragedy strikes.
Javits had reportedly moved from Ghana to New York about a year before his death to live with his father, Thomas Frimpong. His father has described him as a quiet and intelligent teenager who dreamed of becoming a doctor.
Mahama also praised Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and diplomatic mission in New York for supporting the bereaved family and assisting efforts surrounding Javits’ mother’s travel to the United States.
The teenager’s killing has now become more than a family tragedy, with Ghana’s president adding his voice to growing demands for action against gun violence and for justice for Javits.
