On the afternoon of Monday, June 26, 2023, 18-year-old McKenzie Munt was driving on 19th Street in Niagara Falls when she was struck by a gunshot to the head at about 4:30 p.m. The wound caused her to lose control of her vehicle and collide with another car near 19th and Falls streets; the other driver suffered only minor injuries. McKenzie, a member of the Onondaga Eel Clan and a resident of the Tuscarora Indian Reservation, was taken to Erie County Medical Center in critical condition and died three days later on June 29, 2023.

McKenzie had recently graduated from the Harriet Tubman Residential Center in Auburn and was remembered for an infectious laugh and energetic personality; her interests included hair and makeup, crocheting, journaling, and writing poetry. Her family has placed banners around the shooting area and elsewhere to raise awareness and urge anyone with information to come forward. Detectives with the Niagara Falls Police Department continue to investigate; as of the months after the incident no arrests had been announced.

If anyone witnessed the June 26 shooting or has information that could help investigators, please contact the Niagara Falls Police Department’s criminal investigation division at 716-286-4553 or the general information line at 716-286-4711.