NEW YORK — Justin Wallace should be graduating from the fifth grade at Challenge Charter School this week.

Instead his graduation photo and gown were on display at his funeral.


What You Need To Know

  • A funeral for 10-year-old Justin Wallace was held in Edgemere, Queens, on Monday

  • Wallace should have graduated from the fifth grade this week

  • Wallace was shot as he entered a home on Beach 45th Street earlier this month. Police said he was not the target.

  • The man charged with his shooting is due back in court next week

“You may think that he is gone,” said Takeshi Lilly-Pinnock, Wallace’s sister, “but in spirit, he is forever with us. In every moment where you feel down, let his smile provide you with comfort. He meant light, and he meant joy and he meant love. Because that's who he was. Ten years was short, but it was a blessing.”

Hundreds of mourners packed the Full Gospel Tabernacle church in Edgemere to pay their final respects.

"He was a bundle of joy to everyone he loved, because he knew he was also loved. As Justin got older, he started figuring out who he was and what he enjoyed doing,” said Lilly-Pinnock. “If you knew my brother, he was crazy about cars, technology and, unlike many kids, mathematics.”

A fleet of Batman-themed cars followed Wallace to his final resting place:


NY1/Clodagh McGowan.


During the service, he was remembered as a budding mechanic who loved exotic cars.

Mourners said his death was particularly painful.

“Very sad as a parent, and to see a child go out like that is very sad,” said Juane Kingston, the parent of one of Wallace’s classmates.

Wallace and his 29-year-old uncle were shot as they entered a home on Beach 45th Street on June 5. His uncle survived the shooting. Police said Wallace was not the intended target. The incident was allegedly related to a long-standing dispute over a parking spot.

Jovan Young, 29, is facing several charges, including murder and criminal possession of a weapon. If found guilty, he faces 25 years to life in prison. He’s due back in court next week.

------

Did you know you can now watch, read and stay informed with NY1 wherever and whenever you want? Get the new Spectrum News app here.