US missionaries killed in Haiti gang violence
A missionary couple from the United States, along with a young Haitian man, fell victim to fatal violence in Haiti amidst ongoing gang conflicts plaguing the country.
Natalie Lloyd, 21, and her 23-year-old husband David, alongside 20-year-old Haitian Jude Montis, were ambushed by gunmen following their departure from a church.
Missouri State Senator Ben Baker, Natalie’s father, confirmed their tragic deaths on Facebook, stating, “They were attacked by gangs this evening and were both killed… They went to heaven together.”
The couple, married in 2022, operated under the organization “Missions in Haiti,” which corroborated Mr. Montis’s involvement as the third casualty.
According to an earlier post on Facebook by the organization, the trio encountered assaults from two distinct armed factions, initially by gunmen in three vehicles. Subsequently, amidst a confrontation resulting in the death of a gang member, they sought refuge in a house, only to be besieged as the situation escalated into full-scale aggression by the gang.
“Missions in Haiti” confirmed their deaths approximately three hours later.
The US State Department, through a spokesperson speaking to CBS, expressed condolences to the bereaved family and affirmed readiness to offer appropriate consular support.
Missouri Governor Mike Parson conveyed his deep sorrow over the tragedy on Twitter, labeling it “absolutely heart-breaking news.”
Furthermore, the White House advocated for the swift deployment of a multinational force led by Kenya to restore stability in the nation.
“The security situation in Haiti cannot wait,” said a National Security Council spokesperson, adding that President Joe Biden had pledged to support the “expedited deployment” of the force in talks with Kenya’s president on Thursday.
“Our hearts go out to the families of those killed as they experience unimaginable grief,” the spokesperson added.
In an interview with the BBC on Friday, Kenyan President William Ruto said this type of incident was part of the reason his country will deploy forces in the country.
“We shouldn’t be losing people. We shouldn’t be losing missionaries. It is the reason why we made this decision – knowing very well that the responsibility for security in Haiti is a shared responsibility,” he said.
“We are doing this to forestall and to stop more people losing their lives to gangs,” he added.
In a similar incident in 2021, 17 North American missionaries were kidnapped and held east of Port-au-Prince.
Five were released and 12 ultimately escaped by using stars for navigation to trek through dense bush.
Missions in Haiti has been operating in the country since 2000 and is largely focused on helping Haitian children.
For weeks, gangs had been carrying out deadly coordinated attacks, demanding the resignation of the then Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
He agreed to step down in March. Nine members of the transitional council have now been sworn in to lead the country.
But the gangs have capitalized on the power vacuum left by Mr. Henry’s exit and expanded their control over large swathes of the country.
Kenya is due to deploy police forces to Haiti at the head of an international force aimed at helping the country’s transitional authorities restore order.
Earlier this week, the UN children’s agency, Unicef, warned that the violence and widespread malnutrition have brought Haiti’s health system to “the verge of collapse”.
