Accused Shooter was City Employee till Last Month

MOUNT VERNON, NY — Mayor Richard Thomas revealed Tuesday that David Hardy, the Mount Vernon resident accused of killing Shamoya McKenzie by mistake during an alleged gang hit, had recently been a city employee.

Hardy, 21, of Franklin Avenue, faces charges of second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, felonies. He was arrested Tuesday.

McKenzie, 13, was shot while riding as a passenger in a car driven by her mother. Authorities alleged Hardy was intending to kill Prince Scott, another passenger whom he did wound. He fired the 9 mm gun multiple times.

Thomas said Hardy had been briefly employed as a seasonal maintenance worker with the City of Mount Vernon.

"He was notified that his employment was terminated in December of 2016 after he failed to show up for his assigned job," Thomas said in a statement released Tuesday. "He was hired under a former Deputy Commissioner from the previous administration who is no longer with the City of Mount Vernon.

"The City of Mount Vernon expects each and every one of the 1,000 + employees in government to uphold the highest standard of ethics, accountability, and respect for the life of every person in Mount Vernon. The Thomas Administration is requiring background checks, drug testing, and training classes – when appropriate - for all employees. New employment policies and procedures are being developed, reviewed, and implemented by the Mayor’s Office and the City Council to ensure that each and every employee and future employee of our city is properly vetted."

McKenzie was an eighth-grader at Graham Elementary School. Family and friends have set up a GoFundMe account to help the family cover funeral costs.

Hardy faces another charge from an unrelated incident, The Journal News reported.