Mother of Ghanaian boy killed in New York flies to US after Trump grants emergency visa
Doris Adu Gyamfi, whose 15-year-old son Javits Frimpong was shot dead in the Bronx last week, has left Ghana for the United States after President Donald Trump granted her an emergency visa. She said she wants justice for her son and is travelling to help plan his funeral.
BBC World
The mother of a Ghanaian teenager who was fatally shot in New York last week has left Ghana for the United States after President Donald Trump granted her an emergency visa.
Doris Adu Gyamfi told the BBC at the airport before her departure that she wanted justice for her son. Javits Frimpong, 15, was chased down and shot on Thursday morning as he made his way to school in the Bronx.
He was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His mother said he had dreamt of becoming a medical doctor.
Police have not made any arrests. An investigation is ongoing, and officers are searching for three teenage boys who fled the scene and were captured on surveillance footage.
Gyamfi said she was travelling to America to plan her son's funeral. She was escorted to the airport by relatives and by Dr Erieka Bennett, Head of Mission of the African Diaspora Forum. She thanked the government and well-wishers for their support and prayers since the killing.
The death has sparked outrage in both Ghana and the United States and has reignited debate about gun violence in America.
Ghana's government condemned the killing and said it was following the case closely to ensure justice. It urged US authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and said it stood ready to provide legal and consular support so that the perpetrators are brought to justice.
The shooting has also raised concern among Ghanaians about the safety of children sent to study in the United States.