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On Tuesday, Mount Vernon officials announced that 21-year-old David Hardy has been tabbed as a suspect in the rising basketball star’s fatal shooting, when she was a passenger in a car near the intersection of Chestnut Place and 3rd Street.
Hardy was charged with second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon. According to officials, the shooting is believed to be gang-related. He was arraigned on Tuesday and is due back in court on Thursday, Feb. 2.
A suspect in the New Year’s Eve shooting was arrested over the holiday weekend, but his name was not released until Tuesday.
At approximately 2:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, McKenzie was a passenger in a car when she was struck in the head by a stray bullet.
According to police, McKenzie was transported to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead. A second victim was also struck in the shooting, suffering non-life threatening injuries.
A star for both the Mount Vernon Junior Knights, Lady Elites and the High School JV Lady Knights, McKenzie had dreams of attending the University of Connecticut to play under coach Geno Auriemma before making her way to the WNBA.
Earlier this week, the Huskies made McKenzie an honorable member of their squad, complete with a letter from the school for her family and jersey bearing her number 30.
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