Tragedy in Haiti: Beloved Missionaries and Director Mourned After Brutal Gang Attack

Hundreds gather to bid farewell to Judes Montis, Davy Lloyd, and Natalie Lloyd, three missionaries who were killed by gang members in Haiti. The service is marked by grief and anger as mourners demand justice and a resolution to the country's ongoing gang violence.

In the sweltering heat of a crowded church in Port-au-Prince, hundreds of mourners gathered on Tuesday to pay their final respects to Judes Montis, a mission director, and American couple Davy and Natalie Lloyd, who were brutally murdered by gang members.

The service was filled with wails of grief and streams of tears as Montis' wife and the Lloyds' family listened in agony. The mourners, dressed in black and white, created a somber procession as they made their way from the church to the cemetery.

"We'll never forget you or the path you created for others!" exclaimed one mourner, expressing the deep loss and admiration felt by the community.

Montis, 47, leaves behind a wife and two young children, ages 2 and 6. His brother, Esuaue Montis, who was present during the shootings, shared his harrowing experience.

"I saw the gunmen arrive, and I used a truck to block the gate before I started running with orphans and employees," Esuaue said. "The gunmen pushed me to the ground and stepped on me, asking people if they knew me."

In a desperate moment, Esuaue's phone rang, and a friend came to his rescue by lying to the gunmen and saying he didn't work at the orphanage. "That call saved my life," he said.

Montis' murder is a tragic blow to the mission, where he had dedicated his life to serving the community. "We are facing the most difficult time of our life," Missions in Haiti posted on Facebook. "Thank you for all your prayers and support."

Davy Lloyd, 23, and Natalie Lloyd, 21, were deeply involved in the mission, growing up in Haiti and learning Creole before English. Their deaths have devastated their family, including Natalie's father, Missouri state Rep. Ben Baker.

"He mentioned how sorry he was that this evil happened to our kids and how beautiful their devotion was to their calling and to the people of Haiti," Baker said about a phone call he received from former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Hannah Cornett, Davy Lloyd's sister, described the horrific events leading to their deaths. "Three vehicles carrying gang members stopped them, hitting my brother with a gun and tying him up," Cornett said. "As people helped untie him, another group of gunmen appeared, and an unidentified person got shot."

The gunmen then opened fire as the Lloyds and Montis sought cover in Cornett's parents' home. Their bodies were later set on fire.

Haiti's National Police condemned the killings in a rare statement, extending condolences to the families of the victims. However, arrests in high-profile gang-related crimes are rare due to the chronic under-resourcing and under-staffing of the police department.

Gangs control at least 80% of Haiti's capital, and violence continues unabated. As the country awaits the U.N.-backed deployment of a Kenyan police force, the hope remains that justice will prevail and that the senseless killing of innocent individuals will come to an end.