NEW YORK (WABC)– A 17-year-old has been arrested on murder charges in the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Javits Frimpong.
Police picked him up for questioning at his home in the Bronx Wednesday morning and took him to the 42nd Precinct.
New York police have not identified the suspect because of his age, but he faces murder, manslaughter and other gun-related charges.
Frimpong was shot in the stomach on his way to school on the morning of October 29.
Doris Gyamfi, Javits’ mother, who traveled from Ghana to mourn her son’s death, broke down in tears as she spoke at a news conference Wednesday.
“I need justice for my child,” Gyamfi said. “That’s all, I only have one child.”
Thomas Frimpong, Javits’ father, said he was happy to learn someone had been charged in his son’s death. He was also very emotional during the press conference.
“I brought Javits from Ghana to continue his studies here in the United States… He was very, very, very excited,” Thomas Frimpong said. “Unfortunately, on October 29, I was at work when I learned that my son had been shot.”
Authorities were initially looking for three teenagers in connection with the crime and have not ruled out further arrests.
Attorney Ben Crump, the family’s attorney, said the suspect should be held responsible for the teen’s death during Wednesday’s news conference.
“We want these kids, apparently, who murdered Javits to be held fully accountable under the law, because that’s equal justice,” Crump said.
Additionally, Millicent Boateng, Javits Frimpong’s sister, expressed sadness over losing her brother.
“He wanted to be a doctor. He wanted to be in the military,” she said, detailing her brother’s aspirations. Boateng also read an excerpt from his brother’s diary in which he said, “School has been good since I came to the United States.”
The family of Javits Frimpong spoke out Wednesday shortly after the 17-year-old was arrested on murder charges.
Investigators were searching for three teenagers who fled the area wearing black tracksuits and blue surgical masks. The suspects recovered the shell casings after the shooting, demonstrating a level of criminal sophistication, officials said.
The suspects fled into the Freeman St subway station, jumped the turnstile and boarded a No. 5 subway train bound for Manhattan.
Frimpong dropped his bag during the chase and shooting; a passerby picked it up and ran off with it separately. It contained nothing of value.
Frimpong’s killing attracted attention in the community, where concerns about youth violence and intimidation intensified following the shooting.
Frimpong’s funeral is scheduled for November 20.
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