“Scary for my people to feel safe out there” – Sarkodie reacts to Bronx shooting of Ghanaian teen

According to a report by Ghanaweb on Saturday, October 31, 2026, Rapper Sarkodie has added his voice to the tributes for 15-year-old Javits Frimpong, the Ghanaian schoolboy shot dead in New York, describing the killing as sad and frightening and urging parents to do more to instil good values in their children.

In a post on X on Saturday, the musician said that whatever hardships Ghana and the rest of Africa face, he remains proud of the way children are raised there, even in tough neighbourhoods.

Sarkodie noted that murder is treated as a major event in Ghana. Each case, he said, is widely reported and discussed, and the public responds with shock and grief. In parts of the West, by contrast, such killings seem to have become routine, which he said makes it hard for Ghanaians to feel safe abroad.

He also questioned what kind of upbringing could produce young people capable of such violence. He called on fellow Black parents to take their responsibilities more seriously and to teach their children the right values.

The rapper closed with a tribute to the teenager, praying for the repose of his soul and sending his condolences, particularly to Javits’ parents.

Javits moved from Ghana to the United States a year before his death to join his father, Thomas Frimpong, a 60-year-old taxi driver. He was shot once shortly before 9:30am on Thursday, October 29, 2026, near East 171st Street in the Claremont area of the Bronx, and died in hospital. He was a student at DreamYard Preparatory School.

Sarkodie’s post follows reactions from other public figures, including comedian Michael Blackson and Bronx rapper A Boogie wit Da Hoodie, as the killing continues to draw attention in Ghana and among Ghanaians abroad.

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