One American aid worker hailing from Tennessee was gunned down in the streets of Baghdad, Iraq, while with his family this past week.
A 45-year-old husband and father of four, Stephen Troell was murdered this past Monday evening by a group of terrorists while calmly driving through the capital city of Iraq alongside his wife and one child. Reportedly, Troell’s vehicle was aggressively stopped before the group of gunmen from a third car opened fire, killing the man. Both his wife and child were entirely unharmed in the assault, as reported by police officials.
قديش حبينا الزيارة على بغداد!!! كنز العراق هو الشعب. pic.twitter.com/ehBx3zPdDW
— Stephen Troell (@stephentroell) June 11, 2018
Police officers first thought that the attack was just a piece of a failed attempt to kidnap the man, but later gave up on that theory, as expressed by the Associated Press. A group that is not known to officials attempted to take responsibility for the murder, claiming it was done in retaliation for an airstrike carried out by the U.S. in 2020 against Baghdad that resulted in the death of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani and another military commander.
Troell was in the country to teach English within a language center located in one of the more dilapidated neighborhoods in the city. The Twitter feed from the aid worker was inundated by pictures of his family, statements of his devotion to God, and posts expressing his want to get in touch with those he felt he had been called to serve in the war-torn Middle East.
Back in 2017, a total of 16 years in the wake of the radical Islamic terrorists killed thousands of Americans on September 11, 2001, Troell stated on Twitter, “It was 16 years ago today that my life forever changed and God began to take me on a wonderful journey to learn to love my ‘enemies.'”
As the president and founder of The Crown College where Troell received his degree over 20 years ago, Clarence Sexton put forth a statement on Wednesday from Troell’s family in the aftermath of the reports of his death.
“On Monday, November 7, 2022, Stephen Troell met his Savior face to face. Jocelyn, the girls, and little Stephen are currently safe and will return to the U.S. in the next few days,” expressed the statement.
“Stephen often quoted the words of two Moravian young men who gave their lives for the cause. We echo them again: ‘May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering,'” concluded the release.
Sexton pushed people to a page taking donations for the family set up by The Crown College.
Stephen Troell was a great man. He gave his life to helping the Iraqi people. He leaves a wife and four beautiful children. If you would like to help his family, you may make your tax-deductible donation at https://t.co/P1p2aVVRdF for the Stephen Troell Family. pic.twitter.com/CrPwDe5lez
— Clarence Sexton (@ClarenceSexton) November 9, 2022
