Haiti.- Three American missionaries were killed by armed bandits during an attack on an orphanage in Lison 49, Plaine, north of Port-au-Prince, which has been under the control of armed gangs for several months. This tragic incident was confirmed on Friday by the Missions organization in Haiti.
Two of the victims were Natalie Baker and her husband, Davy Lloyd, the daughter and son-in-law of Missouri state legislator Ben Baker. The legislator shared his heartbreak on social media, stating, “My heart is broken into a thousand pieces. I have never felt this kind of pain.”
Natalie and Davy were serving as missionaries in Haiti when they were attacked. The country has been engulfed in violence, with massacres, attacks, rapes, and kidnappings carried out by powerful armed gangs, a situation that has worsened since late February. Ben Baker added, “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.”
No name has been released for the third victim who died alongside Davy and Natalie.
Former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump also shared the news on social media, expressing his condolences and calling for action. “God bless Davy and Natalie. What a tragedy. Haiti is totally out of control. Find the killers NOW!!!” he wrote on Truth Social.
In March, the US State Department issued a travel advisory warning Americans against traveling to Haiti due to its “unpredictable and dangerous” security conditions.
Natalie and Davy were married in August 2022 and moved to Haiti three months later. They primarily worked with Haitian children through the NGO Missions in Haiti Inc., founded by Davy’s parents, David and Alicia Lloyd, in 2000.
In response to the escalating violence, the interim Government of Haiti announced on Wednesday an extension of the curfew for seven more days in the Oeste department, which includes the capital, Port-au-Prince. The state of emergency, extended from May 9 to June 8, aims to restore order and control amid high levels of insecurity caused by armed gangs.
To address the violence, a multinational security support mission, led by Kenya and endorsed by the UN, is expected to arrive imminently in Haiti. This mission aims to help curb the violence that resulted in approximately 8,000 deaths last year.