Family thanks community for support

Two of the victim's brothers may have had an inkling into his fate.
& lt;a href=mailto:kubik@vindy.com & gt;By MARALINE KUBIK & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Eleven members of Norman Eugene Wallace's family filed through a roomful of reporters Wednesday afternoon to thank the community for its support after the killing of the Case Western Reserve University student Friday.
After introducing nine of Wallace's 10 siblings, a sister-in-law, and himself, Bishop Norman L. Wagner, Wallace's uncle and surrogate father, told reporters his nephew, whom he'd helped rear, was "a king among kings" and that his death "created a vacuum in the world."
Wallace, a graduate of Calvary Christian Academy and Youngstown State University, was working toward a master's degree in business administration at CWRU.
He was shot in the chest by a lone gunman in the Peter B. Lewis Building during a seven-hour standoff. Two others were wounded.
Bishop Wagner, pastor of Mount Calvary Pentecostal Church and prelate for the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, also thanked local, national and international supporters who have showered the family with love and kindness during what he said may be their most difficult time.
The outpouring "fills a void in my heart. I just want to say thank you," said Wallace's younger sister, Kim.
Questions remain
His older brother, David, thanked God for the strength to handle the loss of such a "very special person, a very special brother."
Wallace had planned to go into finance and "had been reared to aid the kingdom of God," Bishop Wagner said. "He had a 4.0 grade point average, had just completed his finals and aced them all."
Why a young man with such a bright future was taken is a puzzle, the bishop said. "Our faith tells us that all things work together for the good although not everything that happens is good. There are some things about God we will never understand."
When asked what he thinks should happen to Biswanath Halder, the 62-year-old man charged with Wallace's killing and two counts of attempted aggravated murder, Bishop Wagner said, "I haven't given the assailant the privilege of my thought."
Although the bishop acknowledges feeling angry, he said he refuses to take part in the proliferation of bad feelings.
Unusual feelings
Two of Wallace's brothers recalled their last contact with him, both indicating they experienced what may have been a glimpse into the future.
David said that when his brother last visited him, he was unusually drawn to him and became uneasy when he got up to leave.
"My wife went to the store and bought him pop and chips," he said. As the two brothers walked to the car, David said he handed his brother the pop -- "he really liked Pepsi, and I just said, 'Norman, I'll see you later.'"
Wallace's brother Kevin said he also had a feeling that something was about to change.
The last time the brothers talked, Kevin said he told Norman, "You're in my heart. Should anything happen, I'll see you in heaven."
That was a week or two before the shooting.
"I'm glad some of us had the chance to say goodbye," Kevin reflected.
"His light shines through all of us," a sister, Sheila, added.
With so many siblings, she said, there were always lots of squabbles, but she can't remember arguing with Norman. "Norman was a peacemaker," she said.
A memorial service was this morning in Mount Calvary Pentecostal Church.
& lt;a href=mailto:kubik@vindy.com & gt;kubik@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;