Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Bronx grand jury to weigh charges against teen in fatal shooting of 15-year-old
By
Samantha Max
Published Nov 12, 2026 at 4:16 p.m. ET
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Samantha Max / Gothamist
By
Samantha Max
Published Nov 12, 2026 at 4:16 p.m. ET
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A Bronx grand jury will consider Monday whether to indict a teen arrested in connection with the killing of 15-year-old Javits Frimpong, who was shot on his way to school last month, according to the district attorney’s office.
Prosecutors said Thierno Jalloh, 17, and two others were involved in Javits Frimpong's killing. Javits Frimpong was shot in the stomach as he walked to DreamYard Preparatory School around 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 29. The two others are still at large, officials said.
Jalloh briefly appeared in court Thursday on murder, manslaughter and weapons charges. He is being held in detention without bail and is expected back in court Monday.
According to the criminal complaint, someone who knows Jalloh identified him in surveillance footage connected to the crime during an interview with police several days later. Prosecutors said ballistic evidence and information from witnesses also tied Jalloh and two other people to the shooting. Those people had not been arrested as of Thursday afternoon.
Javits Frimpong
Courtesy of Thomas Frimpong
Bronx Defenders, which is representing Jalloh, declined to comment after the court appearance.
Family members previously told Gothamist that the 15-year-old recently moved to New York from Ghana, following his father, who immigrated here in 2000. Prominent civil rights advocates, including the Rev. Al Sharpton and attorney Ben Crump, have condemned the killing and rallied around Javits Frimpong’s family.
Dozens of supporters for Frimpong’s family filled the sixth-floor courtroom for Jalloh’s brief appearance Thursday afternoon. Outside the courthouse, they shouted, “Justice for Javits.” Someone held a framed photograph of the 15-year-old with angel wings.
Thomas Frimpong, the boy’s dad, previously described his son as quiet. He said two students fought with his son a few days before the shooting and were suspended. The school told him his son was not to blame, he said.
Crump, who is now representing Frimpong’s family, said after the court appearance Thursday that prosecutors told his clients they do not believe the shooters went to Frimpong’s school or were involved with the bullying incident a few days earlier.
“Young people being able to get access to guns and cause irreparable harm — not only to Javits’ family, but also to themselves — I mean, it is a tragedy upon tragedy that everybody loses in this situation,” the attorney said. “It has to be a teachable moment to lead to a greater discussion about stopping gun violence in our community.”
Police arrested Jalloh Wednesday. Javits Frimpong’s sister, Millicent Frimpong, told Gothamist after the arrest that she was happy a suspect had been apprehended but that it did “not really” bring her any relief.
This story has been updated with a comment from Ben Crump.
Tagged
bronx
nypd
public safety
Samantha Max
Samantha reports on whether New Yorkers feel safe and whether the institutions that are supposed to protect them are working. Before coming to WNYC/Gothamist, she spent three years covering the criminal justice system in Tennessee for Nashville Public Radio. Her reporting on Nashville's police department received multiple awards, including the Daniel Schorr Journalism Prize. Samantha was also part of the inaugural class of Report for America, a service journalism program that sends up-and-coming reporters to local newsrooms across the country. She is a Northwestern University grad, a Baltimore native and fluent in Spanish. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal: samanthamaxwnyc.93.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Exclusive video shows shocking moment Brooklyn building collapsed
An in-home surveillance camera shows two children swept up in the wreckage.
By
David Brand
Published Nov 12, 2026 at 4:33 p.m. ET
Why Brooklynites Jeffries and Schumer are still favorites to lead Democrats in Congress
One big reason: no one has formally stepped up to challenge either lawmaker.
By
Brigid Bergin
News
Why Brooklynites Jeffries and Schumer are still favorites to lead Democrats in Congress
One big reason: no one has formally stepped up to challenge either lawmaker.
By
Brigid Bergin
Tornado watch in effect for 11 NJ counties, flash flood warning in Queens
By
Giulia Heyward
NYC Council passes ban on 'surveillance pricing' that relies on personal data
By
Elizabeth Kim
Feds say gang members killed 12-year-old in East Flatbush drive-by, targeting a rival
By
Charles Lane
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .