24-year-old Ghanaian found dead in New York, days after teenager’s murder

Ghana has recorded another murder of a citizen in New York, barely a week after the killing of 15-year-old Javits Badu Nkansah Frimpong in the Bronx.

Frimpong was fatally shot while walking to school in the Claremont neighbourhood of the Bronx on October 29.

Police said the teenager was shot in the abdomen near East 171st Street and Crotona Place and later died at St Barnabas Hospital.

The latest victim, 24-year-old Joseph Owusu, died under circumstances that remain unexplained, according to Ghana’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York.

The Mission disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, November 4, following a visit by its officials to the bereaved family to convey the condolences of the government.

The Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who joined the visit by phone, expressed shock over the latest incident, particularly because it followed the killing of the teenager.

“I have been shocked and saddened by this tragic news, especially coming on the heels of the horrible news of the killing of 15-year-old Javits, also in the Bronx, New York,” he said.

The Minister assured the family that the government would work with relevant United States authorities to ensure that justice was served.

He also conveyed the support and solidarity of President John Dramani Mahama and the government to Joseph’s mother, Mavis, and other relatives.

Joseph, who worked as a caregiver supporting persons with disabilities, also served as a chorister at his local Methodist church.

His family described him as a beloved son and brother whose death had left them and their community devastated.

The Mission said police had informed the family that an autopsy was being conducted on Joseph’s body as investigations continued.

The two incidents have heightened concerns over the safety of Ghanaians in New York, with the government pledging to work with US authorities to secure justice for the victims and their families.