American missionary couple killed by gang in Haiti, family says
May 24, 2024, 11:37 AM | Updated: 11:52 am
American missionaries Davy and Natalie Lloyd were killed in Haiti on Thursday, May 23, family members said. (via CNN)
(via CNN)
(CNN) — A married couple from the US who were serving as missionaries in Haiti were killed there on Thursday, family members said.
Davy and Natalie Lloyd “were attacked by gangs this evening and were both killed,” Natalie Lloyd’s father, Missouri state Rep. Ben Baker, said in a Facebook post. “They went to Heaven together.”
The Lloyds were married in 2022, according to Baker’s social media, and worked for Missions in Haiti, Inc., which has been operated by Davy Lloyd’s parents for more than two decades, according to the group’s website.
“This evening when Davy, Natalie and the kids were coming out of Youth at the church they were ambushed by a gang of 3 trucks full of guys,” the organization posted to its Facebook page Thursday. “Davy was taken to the house tied up and beaten. The gang then took our trucks and loaded everything up they wanted and left.”
Three hours later, Missions in Haiti posted that Davy and Natalie “were shot and killed by the gang about 9 o’clock this evening. We all are devastated.”
“Please pray for my family we desperately need strength. And please pray for the Lloyd family as well,” Baker said on social media early Friday. “I have no other words for now.”
Missouri Republican Gov. Mike Parson mourned the couple’s loss on X Friday morning, calling it “absolutely heartbreaking news.”
CNN has contacted Haitian officials and Missions in Haiti for more information and has reached out to the US State Department for comment.
In a statement to CNN Friday, the White House said it was aware of the reports and expressed condolences while urging for the expedited deployment of UN Security Council-approved international police force to the region.
“We are aware of the reports of the deaths of U.S. citizens in Haiti. Our hearts go out to the families of those killed as they experience unimaginable grief,” a national security spokesperson told CNN. “The security situation in Haiti cannot wait. That is why yesterday, President Biden reiterated our commitment to support the expedited the deployment of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission to bolster the Haitian National Police’s capabilities to protect civilians, restore the rule of law, and pave the way to democratic governance.”
In a joint news conference with Kenyan President William Ruto Thursday, Biden defended the decision not to deploy US troops to Haiti, telling reporters doing so could raise “all kinds of questions that can be easily misrepresented by what we’re trying to do, and be able to be used by those who disagree with us and against the interests of Haiti and the United States,” while pointing to material support, including equipment and training, the US has already provided to address the crisis.
The Facebook feed of Missions in Haiti has told the story of the increasingly dire conditions in the country this year. “The gangs are still fighting for more control and chaos rules,” the organization posted April 23. “It seems the world has turned their backs on Haiti and it is going to be left in complete gang control.”
This story has been updated with additional reactions.
CNN’s Donald Judd contributed to this report.
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