A United States missionary couple were among three people killed in Haiti as widespread gang violence continues to plague the country.
Natalie Lloyd, 21, her 23-year-old husband David, and Jude Montis, a 20-year-old Haitian, were ambushed by gunmen as they left a church.
The couple’s deaths were confirmed on Facebook by Natalie’s father, Missouri State Senator Ben Baker.
“They were attacked by gangs this evening and were both killed,” he wrote. “They went to heaven together.”
According to BBC, the couple were married in 2022.
Their organisation, Missions in Haiti, confirmed to US media that Mr Montis was the third victim.
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In an earlier Facebook post, the organisation said that the three were attacked by two separate armed groups, beginning with an attack by gunmen in three vehicles.
After another group arrived and a gang member was shot dead, the three missionaries were trapped in a house while the gang went “into full attack mode”, the post added.
“They are holed up in there, the gangs have shot all the windows out of the house and continued to shoot,” the post said.
Missions in Haiti confirmed that all three were dead three hours later, BBC reports.
The state department is aware of the deaths, a spokesperson told the BBC’s US partner CBS.
“We offer our sincerest condolences to the family on their loss,” the spokesperson said. “We stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance.”
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On X social media platform, Missouri Governor Mike Parson called the deaths “absolutely heart-breaking news”.
The White House on Friday called for the swift deployment of a Kenyan-led multinational force to stabilise the nation.
“The security situation in Haiti cannot wait,” said a National Security Council spokesperson, adding that President Joe Biden had pledged to support the “expedited deployment” of the force in talks with Kenya’s president on Thursday.
“Our hearts go out to the families of those killed as they experience unimaginable grief,” the spokesperson added.
In an interview with the BBC on Friday, Kenyan President William Ruto said this type of incident was part of the reason his country will deploy forces in the country.
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“We shouldn’t be losing people. We shouldn’t be losing missionaries. It is the reason why we made this decision – knowing very well that the responsibility for security in Haiti is a shared responsibility,” he said.
“We are doing this to forestall and to stop more people losing their lives to gangs,” he added.
In a similar incident in 2021, 17 North American missionaries were kidnapped and held east of Port-au-Prince.
Kenya police to arrive in Haiti in ‘three weeks’
Five were released and 12 ultimately escaped by using stars for navigation to trek through dense bush.
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Missions in Haiti has been operating in the country since 2000, and is largely focused on helping Haitian children.
For weeks, gangs had been carrying out deadly co-ordinated attacks, demanding the resignation of the then Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
He agreed to step down in March. Nine members of the transitional council have now been sworn in to lead the country.
But the gangs have capitalised on the power vacuum left by Mr Henry’s exit and expanded their control over large swathes of the country.
Kenya is due to deploy police forces to Haiti at the head of an international force aimed at helping the country’s transitional authorities restore order.
Earlier this week, the UN children’s agency, Unicef, warned that the violence and widespread malnutrition have brought Haiti’s health system to “the verge of collapse”.
Akpata, during a recent meeting with the monarch repeatedly referred to himself as a “son of the Palace” in both English and the local dialect.
The Oba, however, swiftly dismissed his assertions, explaining that he had instructed one of his chiefs to verify Akpata’s claims.
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He added that his investigation revealed that Akpata has no direct or distant links to the Palace.
Former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has stated that churches should always ask for the source of the donations they get from people.
Speaking at the inaugural lecture in honour of the late senior pastor of Fountain Life Church Taiwo Odukoya on Saturday, June 15, Osinbajo also admonished the church to teach good values that Christians can hold on to when they find themselves in public service.
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The former Vice President who gave a lecture titled ‘Strengthening the Christian voice in government or public office’, said: “How often do those who receive money from politicians and from other sources ask the source of the money?
“So the question is not how many Christians are in government, business, or professions? The question is, what are they equipped with?
“What are the relevant principles of the gospel that they know and apply in their daily and professional or public lives?”
In a notable shift, many residents in United States of America are moving away from larger cities and coastal states to smaller locations across the country. This is just as migrants are also trooping into these locations for the benefits they offer.
Between 2021 and 2022, California saw a net loss of nearly 350,000 residents, while rising living costs are driving some residents in New York out.
In response, several cities and towns are offering financial incentives to attract new residents.
In this article are 7 cities in the United States, as rolled out by Business Insider, who pay people that move in:
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Cities that pay you when you move in there
Tulsa, Oklahoma: $10,000 to Relocate
Ryann Cooke, a social media professional in her late 20s, moved from Washington, D.C., to Tulsa, Oklahoma, in June 2022. Tulsa’s “Tulsa Remote” program, which offers $10,000 to remote workers willing to relocate, drew her attention. Cooke highlighted the significant cost savings and improved quality of life in Tulsa compared to D.C.
Tulsa Remote is one of the most well-known programs aimed at boosting local populations and economies by attracting talent and spending.
Columbus, Georgia: $5,000 for Remote Workers
Columbus, Georgia, offers remote workers $5,000 to move to the city. The program, managed by the local chamber of commerce in partnership with Make My Move, targets remote workers earning at least $75,000 annually. Besides the cash incentive, new residents receive six months of coworking space membership and various community perks.
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