Tyler Thompson of Utah was once detained within the coup strive, government stated.Would possibly 22, 2024, 9:59 AM ET• 4 min readThe circle of relatives of a U.S. nationwide detained within the Democratic Republic of the Congo after a failed coup strive on Sunday stated they had been shocked to listen to of his arrest in reference to the assault close to the presidential palace in Kinshasa.Miranda Thompson informed ABC Information that her stepson Tyler Thompson, who grew up in West Jordan, Utah, traveled to South Africa ultimate month on what he stated could be a holiday with the circle of relatives of his shut buddy Marcel Malanga.Thompson stated that once she noticed photographs of her stepson being detained and crushed through Congolese squaddies, she skilled “whole and utter surprise.””It does not really feel actual,” she stated.Thompson described her stepson as a contented and loving younger guy who grew up taking part in soccer and dreamed of someday construction and flipping properties. Prior to this travel, the 21-year-old had by no means traveled on an plane through himself, she stated.Tyler Thompson is observed in an undated report photograph.Circle of relatives of Tyler Thompson”He is a child. And he is in a spot the place he is aware of no person and does not know the language. And he is were given to be terrified,” she stated.Tyler Thompson was once named on Tuesday through a spokesperson for the DRC’s army, who named him in error as Taylor Thomson. He was once detained along Marcel Malanga and some other U.S. nationwide, Benjamin Reuben Zalman-Polun, in keeping with Congolese officers. Marcel’s father Christian Malanga, who allegedly led the coup strive ultimate weekend, was once reportedly killed in an trade of gunfire with Congolese government.Every other U.S. nationwide was once mistakenly accused of being concerned within the tried coup. Cole Patrick Ducey, an engineer residing in Eswatini, informed ABC Information Monday that he was once now not concerned, in spite of experiences on-line and within the media. DRC govt officers additionally showed to ABC Information that Ducey was once now not concerned within the coup strive over the weekend.Miranda Thompson stated that once Tyler flew to Johannesburg in mid-April, he traveled with Marcel and his father, Christian Malanga, to Eswatini, previously referred to as Swaziland.Congolese safety forces protected the streets of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Would possibly 19, 2024, after Congo’s military stated it has “foiled a coup” and arrested the perpetrators, together with a number of foreigners, following a shootout between armed males in army uniform and guards of a detailed best friend of Congo’s president that left 3 folks useless within the capital, Kinshasa.Samy Ntumba Shambuyi/AP”From our figuring out, the travel was once to talk over with circle of relatives, and that is the reason all we knew,” she stated.There, Thompson stated, Tyler reported to his circle of relatives that his holiday with the Malanga circle of relatives have been interrupted through a bout of malaria, however that Christian Malanga had presented to fund an extension of the travel to make up for the misplaced time.However Miranda Thompson stated Tyler’s circle of relatives had been ignorant of any plans to go back and forth to the DRC, and that the occasions of Would possibly 19 appeared totally incompatible with the younger guy she has co-parented for a decade along her husband and Tyler’s mom and stepfather.”He is a really perfect child. He’s loving and sort. He is the most productive large brother there ever was once,” she stated.Requested if she had a message for Tyler, Miranda Thompson stated, “We adore you. We’re right here to lend a hand in any imaginable method that we will. We simply need you house.”
