A devastating ambush in Haiti has resulted in the tragic deaths of three individuals, including a young American missionary couple, amid the country’s ongoing turmoil marked by rampant gang violence.
Natalie Lloyd, aged 21, her 23-year-old husband David, and Jude Montis, a 20-year-old Haitian, fell victim to armed assailants after leaving a church gathering.
Missouri State Senator Ben Baker, Natalie’s father, confirmed the couple’s untimely demise in a heartfelt Facebook post, lamenting, “They were attacked by gangs this evening and were both killed. They went to heaven together.”
According to a BBC report, the couple, who had been married since 2022, served with the organization Missions in Haiti.
The same organization confirmed Montis as the third victim.
An earlier post on the organization’s Facebook page recounted the harrowing ordeal, detailing how the missionaries encountered armed attackers in three vehicles.
Subsequently, they found themselves besieged in a house amid intense gunfire after a gang member was shot.
“They are holed up in there, the gangs have shot all the windows out of the house and continued to shoot,” the post described.
Tragically, three hours later, Missions in Haiti confirmed their deaths.
Expressing condolences, a U.S. State Department spokesperson affirmed readiness to provide consular assistance, while Missouri Governor Mike Parson mourned the loss as “absolutely heartbreaking.”
In response to the dire security situation in Haiti, the White House has advocated for the swift deployment of a multinational force led by Kenya.
A National Security Council spokesperson stressed President Joe Biden’s support for the “expedited deployment” of such a force during discussions with Kenya’s president.
In an interview with the BBC, Kenyan President William Ruto emphasized the urgency of the situation, emphasizing the need to prevent further loss of lives to gang violence.
“We shouldn’t be losing people.
We shouldn’t be losing missionaries,” Ruto stated, underscoring the shared responsibility for security in Haiti.
This tragic incident underscores the perilous environment faced by humanitarian workers in Haiti.
The country has been grappling with escalating violence and political instability, exacerbated by gangs vying for control amid a leadership vacuum.
Kenya’s plan to deploy police forces to Haiti within three weeks under the leadership of an international force aims to restore order in the beleaguered nation.
Meanwhile, the UN children’s agency Unicef has warned of the deteriorating health situation in Haiti, where violence and malnutrition are pushing the already fragile health system towards collapse.
