Missouri politician’s daughter and son-in-law killed in Haiti
- Ben Baker said his daughter Natalie and son-in-law Davy were killed on Thursday
- The couple had been working in Haiti as missionaries when they were attacked
- Missions in Haiti said they were shot by gang members after calling for help
The daughter and son-in-law of Missouri politician Ben Baker have been killed in Haiti while working there as missionaries.
Representative Baker said in a post to his social media that his daughter Natalie, 21, and son-in-law Davy, 24, were attacked by gangs on Thursday evening.
In an emotional statement, Baker said: ‘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 Davy and Natalie Lloyd are full time missionaries in Haiti.
‘They were attacked by gangs this evening and were both killed. They went to Heaven together.’
Haiti descended into chaos after attacks in February where gunmen seized control of police stations and attacked the airport in the capital Port-au-Prince.
Representative Baker said in a post to his social media that his daughter Natalie and son-in-law Davy, seen here, were attacked by gangs on Thursday evening
In an emotional statement posted by the politician, seen here, he said his heart was broken into a thousand pieces
Baker added: ‘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.’
The couple had been working for Missions in Haiti, started by David’s parents David and Alicia, who shared an update on what had happened to the couple.
In a post to their social media, the organization said that the two were ambushed by a gang of three trucks full of men after coming out of church.
The group said that Davy was taken to a house, tied up, and then beaten before the gang stole the groups trucks and all they had.
After that gang left the area, another arrived with one member being shot and killed causing them to going into ‘full attack mode’, according to the charity.
The couple are said to have been using starlink internet to call for help and were holed up inside a property.
The charity said: ‘So they are holed up in there, the gangs has shot all the windows out of the house and continue to shoot.
‘Their lives are in danger. I have been trying all my contacts to get a police armored car there to evacuate them out to safety but can’t get anyone to do.
‘I also am trying to negotiate with the gang so how much $ to stand down and let them leave and get to safety.’
In an update just hours later, the charity confirmed that they had been shot and killed by the gang, saying they were all devastated by their loss.
Former president Donald Trump shared a post to his Truth Social page about the couple, saying: ‘God bless Davy and Natalie. Such a tragedy. Haiti is totally out of control. Find the killers NOW!!!’
In a post to their social media, the organization said that the two, seen here with Ben Baker, were ambushed by a gang of three trucks full of men after coming out of church
The couple had been working for Missions in Haiti who shared an update on what had happened to the couple on social media
The couple are said to have been using starlink internet to call for help and were holed up inside a property
Gangs control 80 per cent of Port-au-Prince, and the coordinated attacks paralyzed the capital and beyond.
Gangs have burned police stations and hospitals, opened fire on the main international airport and stormed Haiti’s two biggest prisons, releasing more than 4,000 inmates.
The attack on the airport left former prime minister Ariel Henry locked out of Haiti since he was on an official trip to Kenya at the time.
He has since resigned, and a transitional presidential council is seeking a new prime minister for Haiti. It is also tasked with selecting a new Cabinet and organizing general elections.
Gangs since then have directed their attacks on previously peaceful communities, leaving thousands homeless.
Motorists pass by a burning barricade during a protest after an escalation in violence, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, March 7, 2024
A police officer sits inside his vehicle with a windshield damaged by bullet holes, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Saturday, May 11, 2024
A little girl is led by the hand past a burnt car blocking the street as residents evacuate the Delmas 22 neighborhood to escape gang violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, May 2
More than 2,500 people have been killed or injured in Haiti from January to March, a more than 50% increase compared to the same period last year, according to the United Nations.
After months of being inactive, the main international airport reopened for the first time earlier this week.
The reopening of the Toussaint-Louverture airport in the capital of Port-au-Prince is expected to help ease a critical shortage of medications and other basic supplies since the country’s main seaport remains paralyzed.
Only Sunrise Airways – a local carrier, is flying in and out of Port-au-Prince for now. US-based airlines are not expected to start doing so until late May or early June.
The US evacuated hundreds of its citizens by helicopter out of a hilly neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, as did non-profit organizations, as gangs laid siege to parts of the capital.
On Thursday, President Biden thanked Kenyan President William Ruto for sending a deployment of Kenyan police forces to Haiti.
Images shared on their social media show the couple helping out at a children’s home
President Joe Biden and Kenyan President William Ruto walk along the Colonnade around the Rose Garden on their way to the Oval Office Thursday, May 23, 2024
The president defended his decision to withhold sending American troops into the Caribbean nation, instead agreeing to contribute $300 million to a multinational force.
‘Haiti is in an area of the Caribbean that is a very volatile,’ Biden said at a news conference with Ruto.
‘There’s a lot going on in this hemisphere. So we’re in a situation where we want to do all we can without us looking like America once again is stepping over and deciding this is what must be done.’
Ruto said: ‘Kenya believes that the responsibility of peace and security anywhere in the world, including in Haiti, is the collective responsibility of all nations and all people who believe in freedom, self-determination, democracy and justice. And it is the reason why Kenya took up this responsibility.’
