The State Department confirmed that the bodies of two US missionaries, Davy and Natalie Lloyd, who were killed in Haiti last week have been repatriated to the United States. Deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel extended deepest condolences to their families.
On May 23, the couple was attacked by gang members who control most of the island, according to police in Haiti. The attack occurred while Davy and Natalie were attending a youth group gathering at church with several children when they were ambushed by a gang of three trucks filled with men. Davy was taken to his house tied up and beaten before being killed alongside his wife. Missions In Haiti, a nonprofit Christian ministry founded by David and Alicia Lloyd in 2000, confirmed the attack on social media.
Missouri State Rep. Ben Baker, Natalie’s father, also confirmed the tragic news through a Facebook post expressing immense grief for his family as well as the Lloyd family.
The president and the US ambassador to Haiti have been in touch with the families of the victims, while officials in Port-au-Prince worked with the families to make arrangements for repatriation according to their wishes. The main international airport in Haiti’s capital city has reopened after being closed since March due to violence; however, the seaport remains shut down. Gangs are said to control 80% of the capital, leading the US government to evacuate hundreds of citizens by helicopter who fled the violence alongside nonprofit groups operating in the area.
Former President Donald Trump weighed in on the tragedy, expressing condolences for Davy and Natalie while criticizing the ongoing chaos in Haiti and calling for the capture of the perpetrators.
