Akpene Tetteh, a 37-year-old Ghanaian doctoral student at Virginia Commonwealth University in the United States of America (USA), was tragically shot dead in early February. Reports indicate that she was fatally shot in broad daylight.

According to WTOC.com, police arrested a teenager at the scene and booked him into the Savannah Youth Detention Center.

The case has now been transferred to Superior Court, where investigations into the circumstances surrounding her death continue. Officials confirmed that the juvenile is being charged as an adult.

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According to the news report, when the incident first occurred, police released only a brief statement, confirming that a woman had been shot and killed and that a teen suspect had been taken into custody. Since then, more details have emerged about who Akpene Tetteh was.

The Virginia Commonwealth University School of Public Health described Tetteh as an exceptional student and a valued member of their community.

She was pursuing her PhD in the Department of Health Policy and was on track to complete her degree this summer in just three years an achievement the university called unprecedented.

At the time of her passing, she was working on her dissertation, which focused on improving health outcomes for adults with diabetes in the United States.

Her research aimed to address barriers to treatment and prevention, including improving screening rates for diabetic retinopathy among high-risk and underserved communities.

🇬🇭🇺🇸 Akpene Tetteh, a 37‑year‑old Ghanaian doctoral student at Virginia Commonwealth University, was fatally shot in broad daylight in early February.

Police arrested a teenager at the scene, and the case is now headed to Superior Court as investigations into the circumstances… pic.twitter.com/3Hvnw0JDTZ

— CDR AFRICA (@cdrafrica) March 28, 2026

📍📍SAD NEWS📍📍

Akpene Tetteh, a Ghanaian doctoral student at Virginia Commonwealth University🇺🇸, shot in daylight.💔🕊️

Police arrested a teenager at the scene, and the case moves to Superior Court as investigations continue.

Stay tuned✅ pic.twitter.com/SJg0QkhsM6

— 𝐕𝐎𝐊 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄 (@Thevokofficial) March 28, 2026