According to the police, a group of young teenagers shot and fatally wounded a taxi driver during a robbery. The sudden and tragic death has left his family devastated and now they must cope with the aftermath.

Kofi Addo immigrated from Ghana to the United States in 2006 with a determination to work hard, and he certainly did. He drove a school bus during the day and worked as a taxi driver at night, six days a week. On the night he was killed, three teenagers apparently called All Brunswick Taxi, claiming they needed a ride to the movie theaters. However, their true intentions turned out to be much more sinister.

“He was a wonderful person taken away from us far too soon. He had so much left to accomplish on this Earth,” expressed his grieving widow, Kecia Banks.

Addo had already achieved a great deal, bringing his two sons to the United States from Ghana in order to provide them with a better life. He also worked hard to send money back to his village to assist others in doing the same.

“While he was abroad, people reached out to him for help. He supported individuals in their education, assisting those who had difficulties back home. My father was always there to help,” shared his son, Hubert Addo.

On the night of May 11, while driving his taxi, Kofi received a call to pick up passengers in a quiet area of Franklin Township, unaware that three teenagers aged 13 and 14 were waiting for him, allegedly with malicious intent.

Neighborhood residents captured footage of the teenagers lingering near doorbell cameras for over an hour. When Kofi arrived, they reportedly entered his taxi, shot him at close range, stole his phone and wallet, and fled. “Throughout the years I knew him, there were no complaints. He was a kind man, easy-going, just trying to make a living,” remarked Basam Abourjeily, a coworker at the taxi company. “He was a friendly man, always laughing and joking. It’s truly a tragedy what happened to him.”

The events of that night shook the typically peaceful neighborhood, turning it into an unimaginable crime scene and leaving a lasting sense of fear.

***sot mem jamiru/neighbor @ 57:16 *** “To witness someone lose their life senselessly like that, it changed all of us. Now we close our doors; we never used to.,” shared neighbor Mem Jamiru, who, like Addo, was born in Ghana. “We have an entire village back home that we take care of, people who depend on us. When you take away one person, you destroy a village. It’s heartbreaking.”

Now, the village is rallying together to raise funds to repatriate Addo’s body for burial in Ghana. His son has created a fundraising page to honor the father who financed his journey to the United States and supported him through college. He is set to graduate from Kean University in 2024 with a degree in criminal justice.

“One day, while driving him to work, he told me something he rarely said: ‘I never tell you stuff like this, but I’m proud of you.’ That meant a lot to me. It was one of the last things he said to me before he tragically left,” shared Hubert Addo.

The three teenagers charged with his murder are currently held in juvenile detention. Despite her family’s pain, Kofi’s wife, an educator, expressed compassion and offered prayers for them.

“Those are someone’s children, and my heart goes out to their families as well. I pray they find strength,” Banks expressed.