Ben Crump Joins Javits Frimpong’s Family As Bronx Demands Answers

Javits Frimpong‘s family hired civil rights attorney Ben Crump to pursue answers about the 15-year-old’s killing as Bronx residents gathered Saturday for an anti-bullying rally and memorial.

Crump’s firm announced that he would work with the family. His team will look at what happened before the shooting and whether others may bear responsibility.

Residents and advocates at Saturday’s rally honored Javits and called for more to stop bullying. They also urged action to keep young people safe from violence. Police continued searching for three masked teenagers. Investigators had not said what led to the shooting. The boys were described as about 16 to 18 years old.

Javits was killed on October 29 while heading to DreamYard Preparatory School. The shooting happened near East 171st Street and Crotona Place in the Bronx’s Claremont neighborhood, a few blocks from the school.

He died at St. Barnabas Hospital.

He had left Ghana to join his father, Thomas Frimpong, in New York a year earlier. October 28 marked the anniversary of his arrival in the United States. He was killed the following morning. His family said he wanted to become a doctor.

His mother, Doris Adu Gyamfi, arrived in New York on Wednesday after receiving a visa to attend her son’s funeral. Mayor Zohran Mamdani had sought President Donald Trump’s help securing the visa following the shooting.

Thomas reported that his son had complained of bullying. He said the principal told him two students had been suspended over an incident involving Javits. Police were investigating whether bullying played a role in the killing.

Police had also sought school records about the alleged bullying. They said the Department of Education first required a subpoena to release that information. The department later said it was working with police and would turn over records under the law.

A fundraiser benefiting Thomas had collected $898,199 from more than 27,000 donations toward a $1.1 million goal by November 5.

The money was intended to help with funeral costs, burial arrangements and unexpected expenses.

Crump said his team “will stand with Javits’ family every step of the way until the people responsible are held accountable and his family has the answers they deserve.”