Who is Jovan Young? NYC man, 29, who shot dead Justin Wallace, 10, over driveway dispute arrested
QUEENS, NEW YORK CITY: Jovan Young, 29, has been arrested for killing 10-year-old Justin Wallace. Justin was shot in the abdomen at his home in Queens on Saturday, June 5, when Young fired into the compound from the gate. He also hit Justin's 29-year-old uncle who suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound.
The murder of Justin is the latest in a string of gun violence that has targeted children. Three-year-old Elijah La France was killed in Miami-Dade Florida in April. In March, a child was one of the four victims of a mass shooting in Orange, California. Most recently, Marcus Eriz was charged with murder for the shooting of a six-year-old on the highway in California. In 2019, 3,371 children and teens were killed as a result of gun violence, with nearly 30,000 dying between 2010 and 2019.
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Justin's death is just the latest example of those numbers. It is unclear why exactly he was killed, with Young's connection to the family still unclear. Here's everything we know about Young, and the charges he faces.
Who is Jovan Young?
Jovan Young, the shooter, is a resident of Queens and rented the car he used to approach the shooting location. According to reports, Young walked into the police station on Tuesday, June 8, and confessed to the shooting.
Police earlier interviewed Young, but he claimed not to be involved in the shooting. He told police that he was in the car used for the shooting, but was not involved in the incident. He also reportedly told police he would help find the shooter. He then changed his story, confessing to being responsible. According to NBC New York, Young does have a criminal record, but none of his previous offenses are considered "serious". Police also said he is not a known member of any gang.
Police have recovered the gun used in the shooting and tied it to Young as well. Late on Tuesday night, Young was seen being escorted to jail by cops from the 101 precinct. It is unclear when he will be arraigned. According to the police, Young has been charged with murder, attempted murder, assault, and criminal possession of a weapon. A date for his arrangement has not yet been confirmed.
According to reports, Justin was with his parents at his father's sister's house in Queens. Albert Wallace, Justin's father believes the shooting stemmed from a dispute about a parked car. Wallace told The New York Post, that his nephew had parked his car in the driveway and was unloading it when he was asked to move it by a neighbor. "My nephew didn’t move the car, he was unloading it and upset the (man)," he said. According to him, the neighbor then fired at the door, hitting Justin and his cousin.