On a day meant for celebration, New Year's Eve of 2016, the life of a promising 13-year-old female basketball star, Shamoya McKenzie, was tragically cut short in Mount Vernon, New York. She was a vibrant young girl with dreams of playing for the UConn Huskies and eventually in the WNBA. That afternoon, around 2:30 p.m., Shamoya was a passenger in her mother's car, returning home from basketball practice, when a stray bullet struck her in the head. The bullet that ended her life was not intended for her; it was the result of a violent gang-related dispute that erupted on the city streets in broad daylight.
The senseless act of violence that took Shamoya’s life was part of an ongoing feud between the Goonies street gang and their rivals. Investigators determined that members of the Goonies were attempting to murder a rival gang member when they fired multiple shots. One of those bullets found its way into the car carrying an innocent girl, forever altering the lives of her family and community. While the intended target of the shooting survived with gunshot wounds, Shamoya was rushed to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead. The incident sparked outrage and a determined effort by law enforcement to bring those responsible to justice.
An intense investigation involving local police and the FBI led to the arrest of David Hardy, a 21-year-old alleged gang member, who was charged with second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon. It was revealed that after the shooting, Hardy had fled the state in an attempt to evade capture before eventually returning to Mount Vernon where he was apprehended. Three other members of the Goonies gang, Marquis Collier, Jermaine Hughley, and Sincere Savoy, were also implicated and charged in connection with Shamoya's murder.
The legal proceedings that followed brought some measure of closure to a grieving community. David Hardy was ultimately sentenced to 31 years in federal prison for his role in the shooting. His co-conspirators also received substantial prison sentences for their involvement in the murder and other gang-related crimes. In addition to the criminal convictions, a federal judge approved a $9.6 million award to Shamoya's mother, Nadine McKenzie, in a wrongful death lawsuit filed against the four men responsible for her daughter's death. Though her bright future was stolen, Shamoya McKenzie's memory continues to be honored, with her mother establishing a foundation to support youth and combat gun violence.
