Missouri lawmaker says his daughter and her husband were killed in Haiti while working as missionaries
The daughter and son-in-law of Missouri House of Representatives member Ben Baker were killed while serving as missionaries in Haiti, the politician said on social media.
Baker's daughter, Natalie Lloyd, and her husband Davy Lloyd were full-time missionaries in the country, the Republican state representative said.
Baker said that the two were "attacked by gangs" on Thursday evening. The shooting took place in the Lizon area of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital city.
Baker wrote that his heart was "broken in a thousand pieces."
"I've never felt this kind of pain," Baker said, asking for prayers for both families and adding that he had "no other words for now."
My heart is broken in a thousand pieces. I’ve never felt this kind of pain. Most of you know my daughter and son-in-law...
Posted by Ben Baker on Thursday, May 23, 2024
Missions in Haiti, Inc., a non-profit organization that is based in Oklahoma that has been working in Haiti since 2000, said on social media that the Lloyds, as well as a third missionary identified as Jude, were "shot and killed" while holed up in a house at around 9 p.m. local time Thursday.
Haiti's National Police Union confirmed that Jude was Haitian and the director of an orphanage.
"We all are devastated," Missions in Haiti said. The organization did not immediately respond to a request for more information from CBS News.
"We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the two U.S. citizens killed by gangs in Haiti," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement provided to CBS News, disclosing that the U.S. ambassador to Haiti "is in touch" with the victims' families.
"Unfortunately, this serves as a reminder that the security situation in Haiti cannot wait – too many innocent lives are being lost," Miller added. "During Kenyan President Ruto's visit yesterday, President Biden reiterated the United States' commitment to support the expedited deployment of the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission to bolster the Haitian National Police's capabilities to protect civilians, restore the rule of law, and pave the way to democratic governance."
Haiti has been roiled by gang violence since late February, when heavily-armed gangs launched a unified attack on government institutions and infrastructure. The U.S. government arranged evacuation flights for American citizens. More than 2,500 people have been killed, injured or kidnapped in the country since the violence began, and deadly violence in the country is at a "record high," according to the United Nations.
Last month, Ariel Henry resigned as prime minister and a new transitional council was sworn in.
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Kerry Breen is a news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.
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