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 the two were “gang-attacked” Thursday evening. The shooting took place in the Lizon area of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti.
Baker wrote that her heart was “broken into a thousand pieces”.
“I've never felt this kind of pain,” Baker said, asking for prayers for both families and adding that he “didn't have any other words right now.”
Missions in Haiti, Inc., an Oklahoma-based nonprofit that has worked 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 hiding in a house around 9pm local time on Thursday.
“We are all devastated,” said Missions in Haiti. The organization did not immediately respond to a request for more information from CBS News.
The U.S. State Department told CBS News it was “aware of reports of the deaths of American citizens in Haiti,” but did not share any further information or comment “out of respect for the family during this difficult time “.
Haiti has been plagued by gang violence since late February, when heavily armed gangs launched a unified attack on government institutions and infrastructures. The US government organized evacuation flights for US 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.
