10-year-old Justin Wallace was killed in a shooting Saturday (Photo via Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers)
June 9, 2021 By Allie Griffin
A man was arrested and charged with murder Tuesday for the fatal shooting of 10-year-old Justin Wallace in Edgemere Saturday.
Police cuffed Jovan Young, 29, for allegedly shooting Wallace and Wallace’s 29-year-old cousin Saturday night as the pair exited a home on Beach 45th Street.
Wallace was struck by a bullet in the torso and died, police said. His cousin, who lived in the house, was hit in the shoulder and survived.
Young’s arrest yesterday came on the same day that Wallace would have turned 11 years old.
Wallace and his parents were at the Edgemere house for a family barbeque at the time of the shooting.
The 10-year-old was walking out the front door with his cousin when Young allegedly ran up and sprayed the house with bullets at around 9:30 p.m.
The young boy, who was a fifth-grader at Challenge Preparatory Charter School, was rushed to St. John’s Episcopal Hospital, but couldn’t be saved. His cousin was brought to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in stable condition, police said.
Young lived about a half-mile away from the house, where he allegedly shot Wallace and his cousin.
He was charged with murder, attempted murder, assault and criminal possession of a weapon.
Tonight, we’re feeling a wide array of emotions. Today, we celebrate Justin Wallace’s 11th birthday without him. He should still be here with his family, celebrating all his accomplishments, the incredible young man he had become and the bright future ahead. (1/3) https://t.co/8Y30k4XdGx
— Queens Borough President Donovan Richards (@QnsBPRichards) June 9, 2021
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, who knew the Wallace family, said he was grateful for the arrest.
“We feel some relief to see an arrest in this case,” he wrote on Twitter. “This will not bring Justin back, but I hope this brings some closure to Justin’s family and friends. This is hopefully a step forward to justice.”
Family and friends have since turned the scene of the crime into a memorial for Wallace. They tied balloons to the railing outside the home and lit candles on Tuesday, in recognition of his birthday.
UPDATE: The individual wanted for the below crime has been arrested and charged by @NYPDDetectives https://t.co/MAl9p5AmjS
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) June 9, 2021
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