Missouri state Representative Ben Baker made the announcement in a Facebook post saying “Davy and Natalie Lloyd ‘went to Heaven together’ after being attacked by gangs in Port Au Prince last week. “

Mission director Jude Montis was also killed. All three worked for Missions in Haiti, Inc., which has been operated by Davy Lloyd’s parents for more than two decades.

Davy Lloyd, 23, had a “love for Haiti,” his father David Lloyd told CNN. “His first language was Creole. He used to tell us when he was little that someday he was going to be a missionary in Haiti.”

He and Natalie Lloyd, 21, were ambushed as they left church in Port-au-Prince on Thursday evening.

According to Missions in Haiti, the couple was attacked by three truckloads of armed men. The incident escalated into a chaotic scene as Davy Lloyd was tied up and beaten by gang members who stole trucks and other belongings from the mission. Subsequently, another armed group arrived, leading to a gun battle in which the Lloyds and Montis were killed.

The missionary group has faced numerous challenges, including the kidnapping of Davy Lloyd and his siblings in 2005, from which they were rescued after 21 hours. 

Haitian police, collaborating with international law enforcement, are investigating the killings.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson also mourned the loss, calling it “absolutely heartbreaking news.”