U.S. citizen and missionary Nancy Davis died Jan. 26 in a McAllen, Texas, hospital after being shot by a group of armed men on a highway outside San Fernando, Tamaulipas state, Mexico. Davis was reportedly traveling with her husband, a fellow missionary, in a late-model blue Chevrolet pickup around 11:30 a.m. when a group of armed men in a black pickup truck attempted to force them off the road. Davis' husband attempted to flee the area by speeding away from the attackers. The armed men reportedly opened fire on their truck, and a bullet struck Davis in the head. From the information available, it is likely the Davises were targeted because of the pickup they were driving, rather than because of their missionary work or their citizenship; the off-road capabilities and cargo capacities of pickups and SUVs aid Mexican cartels in transporting narcotics. The fact that Davis' husband sped away likely provoked the group fire upon the vehicle; had he not tried to escape, they may have simply robbed them of their truck and any other valuables and left the two stranded on the side of the highway.
