A heartbreaking surveillance video has emerged showing 15-year-old Javits Frimpong running through a Bronx neighborhood moments before he collapsed after being shot while walking to school.

The teenager, who had moved from Ghana to New York to live with his father, was attacked in broad daylight on Thursday morning, October 29, near East 171st Street and Third Avenue in the Claremont section of the Bronx.

Police say Frimpong was struck in the abdomen and rushed to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he later died.

The footage has added a disturbing visual account to an investigation that has left his family and the surrounding community searching for answers. His father, Thomas Frimpong, believes the incident may be connected to bullying his son had reportedly experienced at school.

However, investigators have not confirmed a motive or established a connection between the reported bullying and the fatal attack.

As the search for the suspects continues, new developments have also emerged involving the teenager’s mother, who remains in Ghana. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that President Donald Trump had agreed to grant her a visa so she could travel to the United States and say goodbye to her son.

SURVEILLANCE VIDEO SHOWS THE TEENAGER RUNNING
The surveillance footage from the Claremont neighborhood shows a teenager running along the street while another person dressed in black appears to chase him.

The person following him eventually stops and turns around. Moments later, the victim can be seen collapsing in the distance.

The video has become a central part of the public understanding of what happened that morning, although it does not establish the full sequence of events or identify the people involved.

Witnesses also described seeing people running away after hearing the sound of gunfire.

One witness told NBC New York that she saw the young boy pass her bedroom window but initially did not realize he had been shot. Another person nearby reportedly ran after hearing the shots.

Authorities are examining available surveillance footage as they work to reconstruct the incident and identify everyone involved.

A MORNING WALK TO SCHOOL ENDED IN TRAGEDY
The shooting occurred shortly after 9:20 a.m. on October 29.

Police responded to the area near East 171st Street and Third Avenue after receiving a report of a teenager who had been shot.

Officers found Frimpong with a wound to his abdomen. He was transported to St. Barnabas Hospital, where medical staff attempted to treat him.

Despite those efforts, the 15-year-old did not survive.

The location was less than a block from where he lived with his father and close to Crotona Park.

According to police descriptions, several young males were seen leaving the area after the incident. Investigators have been searching for three teenage suspects believed to be between 16 and 18 years old.

They were reportedly dressed in black clothing and wearing blue surgical-style masks.

As of the latest reports on November 1, no arrests had been announced.

HIS FATHER BELIEVES BULLYING MAY HAVE PLAYED A ROLE
One of the most troubling aspects of the case is the possibility that Frimpong had been experiencing problems with other students before the shooting.

His father, Thomas, said his son had previously complained about being bullied at school.

According to the father, the school’s principal contacted him shortly before the incident and informed him that two students had been involved in a conflict with Javits and had been suspended.

Thomas said his son had told him that a classmate repeatedly disturbed or bullied him, particularly around lunchtime.

He believes the school-related conflict may have been connected to what happened on October 29.

The father also described his son as a quiet teenager who generally kept to himself. He said Javits did not regularly go out with friends and spent much of his time at home.

However, police have not confirmed that the shooting was retaliation for bullying. Investigators have also not established whether the teenager was specifically targeted or whether another motive was involved.

The father’s concerns remain allegations that authorities have yet to verify.

A NEW LIFE IN AMERICA THAT LASTED ONLY ONE YEAR
Javits had moved from Ghana to the United States in 2025 to join his father in New York.

Thomas had hoped that bringing his son to America would give him better opportunities and the chance to build a brighter future.

Instead, the family is now facing an unimaginable loss.

The father described Javits as intelligent, quiet and precious to him. He also said his son dreamed of becoming a doctor.

On the morning of the shooting, Thomas said he reminded Javits to get to school on time before they went their separate ways.

It was an ordinary exchange between a father and son — one that has become especially painful in the aftermath of the tragedy.

Thomas later had to tell the boy’s mother, who was still in Ghana, that their son had died.

He has publicly appealed to those responsible to surrender to police.

THREE TEENAGE SUSPECTS REMAIN UNDER INVESTIGATION
The NYPD is searching for three teenage males believed to have been involved in the shooting.

Authorities have not publicly established their identities or explained what led to the confrontation.

Investigators are reviewing surveillance footage, witness accounts and other evidence gathered from the neighborhood.

Police have also urged anyone who witnessed the incident or has information about the suspects’ movements to contact Crime Stoppers.

The fact that the suspects are believed to be teenagers has added another layer of concern for residents, particularly parents who worry about violence involving young people in the area.

For now, authorities have not announced any arrests or confirmed a motive.

COMMUNITY GATHERS TO REMEMBER JAVITS
A candlelight vigil was held on Friday evening, October 30, near the location where Frimpong collapsed.

Family members, religious leaders, neighbors and community members gathered to remember the teenager and support his grieving father.

Those attending prayed for the family and called for an end to violence affecting young people in the Bronx.

The gathering also brought together people who had experienced similar tragedies in their own families.

Among those present was Leandra Feliz, the mother of Junior Guzman, the 15-year-old whose 2018 killing shocked New York after he was attacked in a case of mistaken identity.

Feliz expressed solidarity with the Frimpong family, emphasizing the pain of seeing another young teenager lose his life.

Community members also called for more after-school programs and activities that could help keep young people engaged and away from violence.

MAYOR MAMDANI SAYS MOTHER WILL RECEIVE VISA TO SAY GOODBYE
A significant development emerged on Saturday, October 31, when Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that Frimpong’s mother would be granted a visa to travel from Ghana to the United States.

Mamdani said he had spoken with President Donald Trump, who agreed to help facilitate the visa so she could come to New York and say goodbye to her son.

The announcement offered a measure of relief to the family, which had been facing the painful prospect of the mother being unable to travel in time to see her child.

The Associated Press reported the announcement, while noting that the White House had not independently confirmed the arrangement at the time of its report.

Ghanaian officials have also been involved in coordinating support for the family.

The development has drawn attention in both the United States and Ghana, where the teenager’s death has deeply affected people following the case.

THE SCHOOL BULLYING QUESTIONS REMAIN UNANSWERED
The allegations raised by Thomas Frimpong have placed additional attention on the events at Javits’s school during the days before his death.

The father says two students were suspended following a reported conflict involving his son. He believes the incident may provide an important clue to understanding the shooting.

The school and the New York City Department of Education have expressed condolences and said support services are being made available to students, families and staff.

However, publicly available information has not established whether the school conflict had any direct connection to the shooting.

Investigators will need to determine whether the suspects knew Frimpong, whether there had been previous threats or confrontations, and what circumstances led to the attack.

Until those questions are answered, the bullying theory remains an allegation raised by the grieving father rather than a confirmed explanation.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
The investigation remains active, with police searching for the three teenage suspects and working to establish the motive.

The surveillance footage may help investigators trace the movements of those involved, while witness accounts and other evidence could provide further details about the moments before and after the shooting.

For the Frimpong family, the immediate concern is saying goodbye to a teenager whose future had only just begun.

His mother is expected to travel from Ghana following the reported visa arrangement, allowing the family to come together during an extraordinarily painful time.

For the Bronx community, the case has renewed calls for safer streets, stronger support for students and greater attention to conflicts involving teenagers.

Javits Frimpong had moved to America hoping for a better life and dreamed of becoming a doctor. Now, his family is left seeking answers about why a routine walk to school ended in such devastating circumstances.