A Colombian evangelical pastor and his family were brutally murdered by assassins while dining at a restaurant after attending a religious service.
The massacre occurred in Aguachica, north of Bogota, on Sunday, December 29, after two armed gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on Marlon Lora, his wife Yorlay Rincon and their two children Angela and Santiago, shooting them several times before leaving the scene fled.
Marlon, 43, Yorlay, 40, and Angela, 24, were killed instantly, while Santiago, 19, survived but remains in hospital in a critical condition.
The family had just left Prince of Peace Church, where Marlon and Yorlay were religious leaders.
Colombian newspaper El Tiempo reported that authorities have not ruled out that the attacker was present at the religious service prior to the attack.
Their daughter Angela worked as a journalist and was a candidate for the municipal council of the Christian party Colombia Justa Libres in 2023.
Roqueme ruled out that the attack was related to Angela’s journalistic work.
After the triple murder, the mayor declared a curfew and the “violent act, committed at close range and during the day, is a reflection of the lack of respect for life and human dignity.”
A Colombian evangelical pastor and his family were brutally murdered by assassins while dining at a restaurant after attending mass
The massacre took place in Aguachica, north of Bogota, on Sunday, December 29, after two armed gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on Marlon Lora, his wife Yorlay Rincon and their two children Angela and Santiago.
Marlon, his wife Yorlay and daughter Angela were killed instantly. His son Santiago suffered serious injuries
Mayor Greisy Roqueme of Aguachica said in a video on social media: “We cannot allow violence to steal our hope, so I demand that the National Government, the Minister of Defense and the Public Power focus their attention on the Cesar department, but above all, all to the municipality of Aguachica’.
The department’s police commander, Col. Eduardo Chamorro, said officers were investigating the brutal killing.
“We are conducting interviews, collecting videos and other court evidence. So far we have no evidence of direct threats,” he said.
According to a medical report from the High Complexity Clinic of Aguachica, where Santiago is being treated, he “has a reserved prognosis and is subject to clinical evolution.”
Meanwhile, the Evangelical Confederation of Colombia has expressed its condolences: “The Aguachica Pastors Association has seen the departure of a family that exemplifies spiritual leadership in the region.”
The Lora family was described as a ‘pillar of the community’
The Lora family was described by Roqueme as a ‘pillar of the community’.
A reward has been offered for information about the people behind the massacre.
The murders of Pastor Marlon and his family are the latest in a series of violent attacks in Colombia.
On November 13, brothers Ever and Gerson García Vélez were murdered by three men on their farm in the Valle del Cauca department.
Two days earlier, evangelical pastor Salvador Zapateiro Mercado was murdered in Cartagena while watching a football match at a local store.