Missouri House of Representatives member Ben Baker announced on social media that his daughter and son-in-law were killed while serving as missionaries in Haiti.
Baker’s daughter, Natalie Lloyd, and her husband Davy Lloyd, were full-time missionaries in Haiti, according to the Republican state representative. Davy Lloyd’s sister, Hannah Cornett, told the Associated Press that both she and her brother were raised in Haiti. Davy moved to the U.S. for college, and the couple married in 2022 before quickly returning to Haiti to engage in humanitarian work.
Baker stated that the couple was “attacked by gangs” on Thursday evening. The shooting occurred in the Lizon area of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital city.
Baker expressed his grief, saying his heart was “broken in a thousand pieces.”
Missions in Haiti, Inc., an Oklahoma-based non-profit that has been active in Haiti since 2000, confirmed on social media that the Lloyds and a third missionary, Jude Montis, were “shot and killed” while sheltering in a house around 9 p.m. local time Thursday.
David Lloyd, Davy’s father and the founder of the mission group, told CBS’ Tulsa affiliate KOTV that his son was ambushed by “three pickup loads of guys that were waiting.” He recounted how the gang “dragged him into the house, beat him, tied him up, and began to loot the house.”
After the gang members left, Montis, who was identified by the Associated Press as a father of two and the local director of the missionary group, came to assist. However, a second gang arrived, and a gunfight ensued, David Lloyd said.
Baker confirmed on social media that the bodies of the Lloyds had been safely transported to the U.S. Embassy.
Haiti has been experiencing severe gang violence since late February when heavily armed gangs launched a coordinated attack on government institutions and infrastructure. The U.S. government has arranged evacuation flights for American citizens. According to the United Nations, more than 2,500 people have been killed, injured, or kidnapped since the violence began, with deadly violence reaching a “record high.”
Last month, Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigned, and a new transitional council was sworn in.
