Evangelical pastor Marlon Yamith Lora,, his wife Yorlay Rincón and their two children Angela and Santiago and shot them multiple times before as they dined at a restaurant

Two gunmen on a motorbike opened fire on pastor and his family before fleeing the scene on a motorbike  

*Pastor Lora, 43, Yorlay, 40, and daughter Angela, 21, were killed instantly

Lone survivor, Santiago, 19, was transported to hospital in critical condition, later presumed brain dead

National Government and authorities in Cesar announced a reward of 50 million pesos [$10,000], for information about the massacre of all four members of the Christian family

Evangelical pastor, Marlon Yamith Lora, his wife pastor Yorlay Rincón and their children Angela and Santiago were shot dead by hitmen while they dined at a restaurant after church service in Aguachica, north of Bogota, Colombia, on Sunday Dec. 29

A Colombian evangelical pastor and his family were brutally killed by hitmen while they dined at a restaurant after attending a religious service on Sunday in northwest Colombia. 
The bloodbath took place in the city of Aguachica in the Department of Cesar, north of Bogota, on Sunday December 29, after two armed gunmen on a motorbike opened fire on Marlon Lora, his pastor wife Yorlay Rincón, daughter Angela Natalia Lora Rincón and their son Santiago Lora Rincón, shot them multiple times before fleeing the scene. 
Marlon, 43, Yorlay, 40, and Angela, 21, were killed instantly, while Santiago,19, was transported to hospital, listed as brain dead.
The National Government and authorities in Cesar announced a reward of 50 million pesos [$10,000], for information about the massacre of all four members of the Christian family.

The two assassins fled on a motorbike after they opened fire on Marlon Lora, his wife Yorlay Rincon and their two children Angela and Santiago in Aguachica, north of Bogota, on Sunday December 29, as they ate lunch in a restaurant after their church service

The Lora Rincón family led the Prince of Peace church in the urbanization Villa Paraguay, an area of informal origin on the outskirts of the city of more than 120,000 inhabitants. It was one of the largest and most recognized congregations in the livestock municipality.
The family had just left the Prince of Peace Church where Lora and Rincón were religious leaders. 
Colombian authorities reportedly, have not ruled out the possibility that the assailants were present at the religious service prior to the attack. 
The couple’s daughter Angela worked as a journalist and was a candidate for the municipal council for the Christian party Colombia Justa Libres in 2023. also involved in the public life of Aguachica, 19-year-old Santiago worked on the current mayor’s campaign. However, police have Roqueme ruled out that the attack was related to Angela’s journalistic work.  

Colombian police inspect the bodies [blurred images], of the victims at the scene after two gunmen shot pastor Marlon Lora, his wife Yorlay Rincon and children. Lora, his wife Yorlay and daughter Angela died instantly. His son Santiago suffered severe injuries

Following the killings, the Mayor’s Office declared a curfew and condemned the ‘violent act, perpetrated at close range and during the day is a reflection of the lack of respect for life and human dignity.’
Mayor Greisy Roqueme in a video posted to social media, declared, ‘We cannot allow violence to steal our hope, so I demand that the National Government, the Minister of Defense and the Public Force turn their attention to the department of Cesar, but above all to the municipality of Aguachica’.
According to the departmental police commander for Cesar, Colonel Eduardo Chamorro, officers are investigating the brutal murder: ‘We are conducting interviews, collecting videos and other judicial evidence. So far, we have no evidence of direct threats,’ he said.
The Lora family was described as a ‘pillar of the community’ by Roqueme. The Evangelical Confederation of Colombia has expressed its condolences, stating: ‘The Aguachica Pastors Association has seen the departure of a family that is an example of spiritual leadership in the region.’

The massacre of the Lora family, [photo], was is just the latest in a string of violent attacks in Colombia. On November 11, evangelical pastor Salvador Zapateiro Mercado was killed under in Cartagena while watching a football match at a local shop

Pastor Marlon and his family’s murders are the latest in a string of violent attacks in Colombia. 
On November 11, evangelical pastor Salvador Zapateiro Mercado was killed under in Cartagena while watching a football match at a local shop.
Although the motives behind the crime have not been public, public consensus leans towards the possibility that it was motivated by anti-religious sentiments.
The Directorate of Religious Affairs of the Ministry of the Interior called on the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Office of the Ombudsman and the Office to join forces in favor of the prevention and protection of the human right to religious freedom and worship.
According to the Institute for Development and Peace Studies, the Lora family murders is the 76th mass killing in Colombia, this year.