MOUNT VERNON – On Saturday
afternoon, 13-year-old Shamoya McKenzie, a basketball star at her Mount
Vernon school, was shot in the head and killed as she drove through a
city street. On Tuesday, school district and city officials called for
unity in the community.
“A perfect child has been taken away from us,” her mother,
Nadine McKenzie, said Tuesday.
“A senseless act of violence,” is how Superintendent of Schools
Dr. Kenneth Hamilton described Shamoya’s death.
“There are no words that make this palatable, or understandable
or even manageable, but I have to say if there is any good that has come
out of this tragedy, it is the way the community has come together to
support this family and help the community heal,” he said.
Mayor Richard Thomas said the city is “heartbroken” over
Shamoya’s murder and he wants the appropriate resources put in place
to put a lid on crime.
“The criminals have become somewhat comfortable, but we have taken
extra steps over the last couple of days with our supporting resources
– the FBI on down – to make sure these criminals know they
are not welcome in Mount Vernon,” he said.
Thomas said the city has the resources to fight crime, but the city council
has misplaced priorities, noting the police department has been reduced
by 38 positions over the last two years.
