New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Saturday that he had reached an agreement with President Donald Trump to secure a visa for the mother of a 15-year-old Ghanaian immigrant who was fatally shot earlier this week.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani says 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 on his way to school in the Bronx. The announcement, made by Mamdani in a social media post on Saturday, October 31, followed a telephone conversation between the two leaders.
The visa will allow the grieving mother, who is currently in Ghana, to travel to the United States and say her final goodbye to her son in person. In his post on X, Mamdani expressed sympathy for the family, describing the death of a child as a tragedy no parent should have to experience, particularly from thousands of miles away.
Javits Frimpong was reportedly shot in the abdomen shortly before 9:30 a.m. on Thursday while walking to school in a neighbourhood in the Bronx, New York. According to the New York City Police Department, the teenager was rushed to a hospital but was later pronounced dead. Frimpong had moved from Ghana to the Bronx approximately a year ago to join his father, Thomas Frimpong, and begin a new life in the United States.
His death has sparked grief among residents and renewed concerns about the safety of students travelling to and from school. The teenager’s father told reporters that he had recently been informed by his son’s school principal that two students had been bullying him. The two students were reportedly suspended following the complaint. Thomas Frimpong said he had contacted his son after learning about the situation and was reassured that everything was fine.
However, the circumstances surrounding the teenager’s death remain under investigation, with police yet to make any arrests as of Saturday. Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has also reacted to the development, welcoming the intervention by Mamdani and Trump’s reported agreement to facilitate the mother’s travel.
In a social media post, the minister indicated that Ghanaian officials in New York were working with relevant authorities to support the family and assist with the visa process. The Ghanaian government has also expressed its commitment to working with US authorities to ensure that justice is served. Although Mamdani announced that Trump had agreed to grant the mother a visa immediately, the White House had not officially responded to requests from the Associated Press seeking confirmation of the arrangement at the time of its report.
The development comes as the family continues to mourn the tragic loss of the teenager, whose life was cut short while simply making his way to school. For his mother, the reported visa approval could provide an opportunity to travel from Ghana to New York and bid a final farewell to her son.
Photo credit: Getty Images
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