Ghana pays for visa, funeral for slain teen

The Ghanaian government will cover the full cost of travel for the mother of a teenage immigrant killed in the Bronx, according to Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.

Ablakwa stated that the ministry will also contribute toward a dignifying funeral for Javits Frimpong. The teen, 15, was shot in the abdomen while walking to school in the Bronx shortly before 9:30 a.m. on Thursday.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Saturday that President Donald Trump agreed to grant a visa to Frimpong’s mother, Doris Adu Gyamfi. The visa will allow her to fly in from Ghana for the funeral.

“I just got off the phone with President Trump and he has agreed to grant her visa immediately,” Mamdani wrote on X. He added that the president’s decision ensures the mother can say goodbye to her son in person.

The White House has not yet provided a formal response to inquiries about the visa grant. Frimpong arrived in the Bronx from Ghana one year ago to live with his father, Thomas Frimpong, according to U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres.

Thomas Frimpong told reporters that his son was a quiet teenager who had recently been bullied at school. The principal informed Thomas Frimpong of the situation days before the shooting, and the school suspended two students. Thomas Frimpong said he spoke with his son that day and Javits Frimpong replied that he was okay.

No arrests have been made in connection with the shooting, and New York City Police continue to investigate the incident. U.S. and Ghanaian officials are coordinating on the case, with Ablakwa stating that his ministry will work with U.S. authorities to secure justice.