From Akamani to Javits Frimpong: Five Ghanaians killed in US gun violence

The deaths of Ghanaian nationals in separate shooting incidents across the United States have renewed attention to the impact of gun violence on members of the Ghanaian community abroad.

From a university professor, a doctoral student and teenage Ghanaians, the victims were caught up in fatal incidents in different parts of the United States.

Below are five reported cases.

1. Dr Kofi Akamani – Illinois

Dr Kofi Akamani, a 48-year-old Ghanaian professor at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, was shot dead on September 19, 2026, in Jackson County, Illinois.

He was taken to Memorial Hospital of Carbondale, where he was pronounced dead.

His wife, Betty Akamani, 35, was subsequently charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of endangering the life or health of a child in connection with his death. The charges remain allegations pending the legal process.

2. Akpene Tetteh – Virginia

Akpene Tetteh, a 37-year-old Ghanaian doctoral student at Virginia Commonwealth University, was fatally shot in the United States in early February 2026.

She was pursuing a PhD at the university’s School of Public Health and was reportedly close to completing her programme.

A teenage suspect was arrested near the scene and charged as an adult. Investigators had not disclosed the motive for the shooting in reports published in March.

3. Michael Sakyi Jr – Virginia

Eighteen-year-old Ghanaian Michael Sakyi Jr. was reportedly shot dead in Manassas, Virginia, in June 2026.

According to Adomonline, police found him in the driver's seat of a crashed vehicle on June 25, 2026, with a gunshot wound to his upper body. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 21-year-old suspect, Jamal Dana Allen, was arrested on July 2 and charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

4. Edward Nana Kwame Fordjour – Delaware

Edward Nana Kwame Fordjour, a 42-year-old Ghanaian, was shot five times on May 4, 2024, on Troubadour Way in Newark, Delaware.

He died four days later, on May 8, 2024, at Christiana Care Hospital, despite efforts to save his life.

He left behind his wife, Abena Difie Danquah, and their three young children.

5. Javits Frimpong – New York

The latest case involves 15-year-old Ghanaian teenager Javits Frimpong, who was fatally shot while walking to school in the Bronx, New York, on October 29, 2026.

According to reports, he was shot in the abdomen shortly before 9:30 a.m. near East 171st Street and Crotona Place. He was rushed to the hospital but later died from his injuries.

His father, Thomas Frimpong, said his son had previously complained about being bullied at school. He also said two students had been suspended after an earlier confrontation involving the teenager.

Police were searching for three teenage suspects as of October 30, with the motive for the shooting yet to be established.

NA/AM