Residents of Mount Vernon, New York, have been grieving the tragic death of 13-year-old Shamoya McKenzie after she was shot and killed on New Year's Eve. While a passenger in a car, she was the unintentional target of a drive-by shooting and died after being struck in the head.
McKenzie was a standout basketball player who dreamed of playing for the UConn women's team. After her death, various members of the community reached out to the Huskies and head coach Geno Auriemma in hopes he might write a letter to her mother.
Auriemma responded with a letter and much more. The team named McKenzie an honorary member of the squad and sent a No. 30 jersey (her number) with a letter that said, "Once a Husky, Always a Husky."
.@UConnWBB makes Shamoya McKenzie an honorary team member in wake on teen's untimely death: https://t.co/1VkziM5VFH pic.twitter.com/wESGRBWzUP
— Mike Zacchio (@Zacchio_LoHud) January 7, 2017
Let's hope this brings a moment of joy to her family during this horrible time.
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