Jane W is a Liberian citizen and member of the Gio tribe. In July 1990, the violence in Liberia became so intense, that Jane and her family decided to leave their home and seek safety at the St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, a humanitarian aid center under the protection of the Red Cross. On the night of July 29, 1990, Jane W and her family were sleeping inside the main church when government soldiers burst into the building. Jane’s daughter and aunt were killed before her eyes, while her husband tried to rescue their youngest child and flee the massacre. Jane was the only member of her family inside the church to survive the attack.
John X is a Liberian citizen and member of the Gio tribe. In June 1990, when the violence against Manos and Gios escalated in Monrovia, John X took his wife and daughter to the St. Peter’s Lutheran Church. On the night of July 29th, John X was separated from his wife and child, who were sleeping in the adjacent school building. When government soldiers entered the church, John X survived by lying on the floor and hiding under the dead bodies. John X’s wife, daughter, and two brothers were both killed in the massacre.
John Y is a Liberian citizen and member of the Mano tribe. John Y was only 12 years old when he moved into the St. Peter’s Lutheran Church with his family. On the night of July 29th, John Y was hiding near the pulpit at the front of the nave when soldiers entered the church and began shooting. In the chaos, a bullet hit John Y in the leg. He and his father survived the attack, and in the morning found the dead bodies of his aunt and her child. John Y’s mother and small brother, who had been hiding in the schoolhouse, also survived the attack but were stripped of all their possessions by the government soldiers. Having fled for their lives, the family was not reunited until two years later.
John Z is a Liberian citizen and member of the Mandingo tribe. On the night of July 29th, John Z was sleeping outside in the Church compound when soldiers entered the front courtyard. As soldiers fired into the crowds, people began to flee and fell to the ground. John Z hid amongst the bodies and was bayonetted in the arm by a soldier trying to make sure the victims were dead.
