Two American Christian missionaries were tragically killed by gang violence in Haiti on Thursday, according to Missouri State Representative Ben Baker. The victims, Davy and Natalie Lloyd, were full-time missionaries in the country.
The couple, associated with the nonprofit organization Missions In Haiti, Inc., were shot and killed at 9 p.m., Baker confirmed in a heartfelt Facebook post. “My heart is broken in a thousand pieces. I’ve never felt this kind of pain,” Baker wrote. “They went to Heaven together. Please pray for my family; we desperately need strength. And please pray for the Lloyd family as well.”
Missions In Haiti, a nonprofit Christian ministry founded by David and Alicia Lloyd, has operated in the Caribbean nation since 2000. Davy and Natalie joined the mission after their marriage in June 2022. The couple, along with several children, were attending a youth group gathering at a church when they were ambushed by a gang of men in three trucks.
“Davy was taken to the house, tied up, and beaten. The gang then took our trucks and loaded everything up they wanted and left,” Missions In Haiti recounted on social media. Another gang arrived later, leading to further confusion and violence.
Davy, Natalie, and another individual named Jude were in the house, communicating the situation to Missions In Haiti via Starlink satellite internet when the gangs began shooting at the house. The organization lost contact with the missionaries, and hours later, it was confirmed that Davy, Natalie, and Jude were killed.
Missions In Haiti and Representative Baker did not immediately respond to requests for additional information. A family friend, Chris Slinkard, and Missouri State Representative Dirk Deaton have set up a GoFundMe page for the Baker/Lloyd family, which has raised $9,860 towards a $20,000 goal as of Friday afternoon.
Former President Donald Trump commented on the tragedy on Truth Social, writing, “God bless Davy and Natalie. Such a tragedy. Haiti is totally out of control. Find the killers NOW!!!”
Haiti has been grappling with severe instability, exacerbated by poverty, natural disasters, and corruption. Since February 29, coordinated gang attacks have further plunged the nation into chaos, resulting in the burning of police stations, shootings at the main international airport, and the storming of Haiti’s two largest prisons, releasing over 4,000 inmates. The U.N.’s World Food Program reports that at least 1.4 million Haitians are on the brink of famine.
Gang leader Jimmy “Barbeque” Chérizier and his “G9 Families and Allies” have claimed responsibility for recent violent outbreaks. This situation has prompted the U.S. to issue urgent warnings for citizens to leave Haiti. The Biden administration has pledged $300 million to support a multinational force, including 1,000 police officers from Kenya, to help restore order.
Haiti’s main international airport in Port-au-Prince reopened for the first time since March on Monday, but the seaport remains closed, and gangs control 80% of the capital.
The U.S. government has been evacuating citizens and assisting nonprofit groups operating in the besieged capital. The deployment of foreign troops to stabilize the country is expected in the coming weeks.
