An American couple serving as missionaries in Haiti and another man were shot a killed by gang members on Thursday, family members said.
Davy and Natalie Lloyd were “attacked by gangs” on Thursday night “and were both killed,” Natalie Lloyd’s father, Missouri state Rep. Ben Baker, said in a Facebook post.
“They went to Heaven together. Please pray for my family we desperately need strength. And please pray for the Lloyd family as well. I have no other words for now.”
The couple was serving with an Oklahoma-based nonprofit organization Missions in Haiti. A Facebook post from the organization said the couple was leaving a church building when they “were ambushed by a gang of 3 trucks full of guys.” The Associated Press reported the third victim was a Haitian who as a local worker with Missions in Haiti.
Missouri Republican Gov. Mike Parson expressed his “deepest condolences” for the couple’s death and called it, “absolutely heartbreaking news,” in a post shared on X.
A statement from the White House on Friday said they were aware of the reported deaths and urged deployment of a United Nations Security Council-approved international police force to the region, per CNN.
“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.”
Earlier this week, Missions in Haiti expressed optimism over reduced “gang activity.”
“Things have been calmer over the past 2 weeks,” the organization wrote on Facebook. “Some gangs are realizing their rule is about to come to an end...The Haitian people are encouraged that Gang Rule could be ending soon. We are praying this will happen and the sooner the better.”