New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Saturday that President Donald Trump has agreed to grant a visa to the mother of Javits Frimpong, a 15-year-old Ghanaian boy who was shot dead in the Bronx. Mamdani said on X that he spoke with Trump by phone and that Trump "has agreed to grant her visa immediately," so the mother can say goodbye to her son, according to Al Jazeera.
No official US confirmation of the visa or its timing has been found. The claim comes from Mamdani’s post. The White House did not immediately respond to a request from AP confirming the visa, and Trump himself had no immediate comment, according to The Hindu and Al Jazeera.
According to New York City police, Frimpong was shot in the abdomen on his way to school on Thursday morning and died later that day in hospital. CCTV footage reportedly shows him being chased by three other teens on his way to school that morning, according to Al Jazeera. No arrests have been made, police are investigating, and no motive has been confirmed.
Frimpong moved from Ghana to the Bronx a year ago to live with his father and begin a new life in the United States, according to Representative Ritchie Torres, as reported by DW. His father, Thomas, said his son was quiet and was bullied at school by two boys, and that the teen had told him so. These bullying claims come from the family and have not been confirmed by police in the sources reviewed.
Ghanaian Foreign Minister Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa said Ghanaian officials are coordinating with local authorities and helping the mother with her visa application, according to Al Jazeera. Thousands attended vigils for Frimpong across the city, Al Jazeera reported.
The case comes amid broader restrictions on visas. Al Jazeera reported that visa applications from a number of African countries have been severely limited under the Trump administration. The Hindu reports that Trump has suspended visa processing from 75 countries during his second term as part of a broader immigration clampdown.
The sources do not say whether the mother has already travelled or when she is expected to arrive. The police investigation continues, and Ghanaian officials say they will work with US authorities to secure justice. The mother’s visa application is expected to proceed, pending US confirmation.
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This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.