The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has released a short statement in response to the massacre of nine women and children in northern Mexico, strongly believed to be perpetrated by drug cartels.
Church spokesman Eric Hawkins said, “We are heartbroken to hear of the tragedy that has touched these families in Mexico. Though it is our understanding that they are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, our love, prayers and sympathies are with them as they mourn and remember their loved ones.”
The nine U.S. citizens, three women and six children, have been connected by news reports to a small, independent fundamentalist community with deep ties to Latter-day Saint history. In a Facebook post by a family member, Jhon LeBaron wrote what the family knew of the massacre.
“On the morning of November 4th, 2019, three mothers in three vehicles, with fourteen children between them, set out from LaMora, a small family community in the mountains of northeastern Sonora. Two of them to see family in Chihuahua, and one of them to pick up her husband from the airport in Phoenix, AZ. They never made it. They were ambushed by the Mexican cartels; shot, burned, and murdered in cold blood. These were innocent civilians, American citizens simply trying to live peaceful lives.”
Courtesy of Jhon LeBaron | Facebook
Courtesy of Jhon LeBaron | Facebook
Courtesy of Jhon LeBaron | FacebookA GoFundMe account has been set up to help support the surviving children and their families.
Aleah is a graduate of Southern Virginia University, where she studied English, Creative Writing, and Dance. She now works full time as a marketing and product manager, writer, and editor. She currently hosts the podcast “Single to the Glory” about singlehood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Aleah served a mission in California and loves baking, Lang Leav poetry, Gaynor Minden pointe shoes, and Bollywood movies.
