A US missionary couple was among three people killed in Haiti amid ongoing rampant gang violence.
Natalie Lloyd, 21, her 23-year-old husband David, and 20-year-old Haitian Jude Montis were ambushed by gunmen while leaving a church.
Gangs continue to dominate much of Port-au-Prince, leading to thousands fleeing their homes in recent weeks. The couple’s deaths were confirmed on Facebook by Natalie’s father, Missouri State Senator Ben Baker.
“They were attacked by gangs this evening and were both killed,” he wrote. “They went to heaven together.”
Their organization, Missions in Haiti, confirmed to US media that Mr. Montis was the third casualty. In a previous Facebook post, the organization detailed that the three victims were assaulted by two different armed groups. The attack commenced with gunmen arriving in three vehicles.
After another group arrived and a gang member was shot dead, the three missionaries were trapped in a house while the gang went “into full attack mode”, the post added.
“They are holed up in there, the gangs have shot all the windows out of the house and continued to shoot,” the post said.
Missions in Haiti confirmed that all three were dead three hours later.
The state department is aware of the deaths, a spokesperson told the BBC’s US partner CBS.
“We offer our sincerest condolences to the family on their loss,” the spokesperson said. “We stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance.”
On X/Twitter, Missouri Governor Mike Parson called the deaths “absolutely heart-breaking news”.
In a similar incident in 2021, 17 North American missionaries were kidnapped near Port-au-Prince. While five were released, the remaining 12 escaped by navigating through dense bush using stars.
Missions in Haiti, an organization focused on aiding Haitian children since 2000, has faced numerous challenges.
For weeks, gangs had orchestrated deadly attacks, demanding the resignation of then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who eventually agreed to step down in March.
Consequently, a nine-member transitional council has been sworn in to lead the nation. However, gangs have exploited the power vacuum created by Henry’s departure, expanding their control over large areas of the country.
In response, Kenya plans to deploy police forces to Haiti, heading an international mission to support the country’s transitional authorities in restoring order.
Meanwhile, UNICEF recently warned that escalating violence and widespread malnutrition have pushed Haiti’s health system to the brink of collapse.