Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Victor Smith, has disclosed that five Ghanaians have died under different circumstances since he assumed office, with most of the cases involving gun violence.
He expressed concern over the deaths, particularly the recent killings of two Ghanaians in the Bronx, New York, and called for greater attention to the safety of Ghanaians living in the United States.
Speaking on TV3’s The Key Points on Saturday, November 7, Smith said he had already issued a statement expressing Ghana’s displeasure over the incidents.
“In total, five people have died since I became the US Ambassador in different circumstances; most of them are gun-related. I have issued a statement expressing our unhappiness about what is happening; we cannot accuse the US government of not doing enough, but we need to protest that Ghanaians are unhappy,” he said.
Two Ghanaians killed in the Bronx
The Ambassador’s remarks come amid investigations into the deaths of 24-year-old Joseph Owusu and 15-year-old Javits Badu Nkansah Frimpong, both of whom were killed in the Bronx within the past two weeks.
Owusu, a Ghanaian caregiver who had reportedly been missing for about two weeks, was found dead at a dumpsite in the Bronx.
Surveillance footage obtained by American news outlet ABC7 and shared on November 6, 2026, reportedly showed two individuals removing a large black duffel bag containing his body from the boot of a white saloon car.
The footage, recorded at night, showed the individuals dragging the bag onto the pavement before driving away.
On the following day, another person was captured placing the bag on a metal stretcher and wheeling it away. Owusu’s body was later discovered at the dumpsite by a man searching for scrap metal.
His brother, Kojo Yeboah, has appealed for justice, saying the family is struggling to come to terms with the loss.
“I need justice for Joseph. I want the truth to come out because my brother didn’t deserve to die the way he did. He’s only 24. He had a lot of living to do. I cried till my nose was bleeding because I couldn’t eat,” he said.
Yeboah was subsequently shown the surveillance footage and asked whether he recognised the individuals captured in it.
Mahama raises concerns over gun violence in the US
President John Dramani Mahama has also called on the United States to address gun violence and the ease of access to firearms following the killing of 15-year-old Javits Frimpong.
Speaking at a meet-the-press session with the Presidential Press Corps at Jubilee House on Thursday, November 5, the President described the teenager’s death as particularly distressing, noting that he had moved to the United States barely a year earlier to join his father.
“It is not common over the years for several Ghanaians to have been killed in violence in the United States.
“The issue with Javits Frimpong is, he was so young, 15 years old, and had just been in the United States barely a year to join his father, and this happened,” he said.
Frimpong was shot on the morning of Thursday, October 29, while walking to school in the Bronx. He later died at St Barnabas Hospital.
Mahama identified gun violence and the availability of firearms as major issues the United States needed to address, pointing to the constitutional right to bear arms.
“It is part of the amendments in their constitution that give citizens the right to bear arms. So, anybody can go to a gun shop to buy one,” he said.
The President also highlighted mental health challenges and the pressures associated with modern living, arguing that they could contribute to unpredictable acts of violence.
He said the United States needed to confront the growing concerns surrounding gun violence, adding that the problem was not limited to Ghanaians alone.
NYPD investigates Frimpong’s killing
The New York Police Department (NYPD) is investigating the circumstances surrounding Frimpong’s death.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said on Monday, November 2, that three hooded individuals wearing surgical masks chased the teenager and shot him before picking up the shell casings and leaving on a subway train.
According to Kenny, investigators were considering robbery, mistaken identity and possible bullying at school as potential motives. Police have not publicly identified a suspect or confirmed which line of investigation they are pursuing.
Some accounts have also linked the incident to bullying, although the exact circumstances remain unclear.
Ghana government supports bereaved families
President Mahama has commended the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for facilitating the travel of Frimpong’s mother to New York to mourn her son.
He also praised Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister James Gyakye Quayson, who received the bereaved mother in Accra during the President’s absence.
Mahama said Ghana’s diplomatic mission in New York had visited the family and had been directed to provide the necessary assistance.
The Foreign Affairs Minister has indicated that the government is covering the cost of the mother’s trip.
Meanwhile, the Ghanaian authorities are awaiting further information on Owusu’s death. Ghana’s embassy in Washington and its New York mission identified him as a caregiver who had been missing for about two weeks. The mission disclosed on Wednesday that an autopsy was underway, although the cause of death had not yet been established.
New York police have appealed to anyone with information about Frimpong’s killing to contact Crime Stoppers on 1-800-577-TIPS.m
By:Rachael Djabakie