wfn.org | United Methodist humanitarian worker slain in Honduras

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

Sept. 4, 2001 News media contact: Thomas S.
McAnally7(615)742-54707Nashville, Tenn.     10-32-71BP{370}

NOTE: A photograph is available for use with this story.  

A UMNS Feature
By Tom McAnally*

John Quinn did more, saw more, and served more in 32 years than most people
do in their lifetimes.

But his life ended abruptly Saturday, Aug. 25, when he became the 13th
American slain in Honduras in the past two years. He was shot in the head in
a dispute with two men over the earlier theft of his compact disc
collection. The men, ages 19 and 22, are being held in connection with the
shooting.

Quinn was reared in Franklin Lakes (N.J.) United Methodist Church. His
mother, Lori Quinn of Wyckoff, N.J., said the church was influential in his
life, but his service in the Peace Corps was pivotal. "Once he saw poverty
in Ecuador, he wanted to do something about it. He was dedicated and driven
to make a difference."

Quinn served two years in Ecuador; worked as an intern in Mozambique; served
with Crisis Corps in Guatemala; and worked two years in Peru before going to
Honduras in 1999.  An outdoorsman, he also traveled extensively throughout
the world including Nepal, Tibet and Kenya, as well as many of the U.S.
national parks. 

An honor student, Quinn graduated in 1991 from the University of Vermont in
Burlington, where he studied pre-med and animal science. He earned an
advanced degree in public health in international health and epidemiology in
1998 from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Quinn had just returned to Honduras after completing a two-year stint in
December constructing houses for victims of Hurricane Mitch. Mrs. Quinn
recalls her son's words before he returned to Central America: "We built
houses," he said, "but now I must go back to build lives."  

The motivation for his return, and the focus of the program he was
developing for a Washington-based nonprofit foundation, was to keep young
children from joining gangs. "If children reach the age of 12, it is too
late," Mrs. Quinn quoted her son as saying. 

She thinks her son's anti-gang work may have contributed to his death.
"There are 90,000 kids in violent gangs in Honduras, and they have no
respect for life," she said.  

Quinn left New Jersey on July 11 and drove to Honduras, arriving there July
25. "He was doing well," his mother recalls. "He had been down in April to
set things up. He was starting to find volunteers and was happy with the
project thus far."

Piecing together various reports from Honduras, Mrs. Quinn said the shooting
occurred in Puerto Cortes, in a bar where her son was relaxing with friends.
Two men reportedly entered the bar, one of whom had purchased furniture from
Quinn when he left Honduras in December. Quinn had reason to suspect that
the men had stolen his prized CD collection two weeks earlier, his mother
said. When Quinn confronted the man, one allegedly took out a .22-caliber
pistol and shot him twice, hitting him in the forehead and chest.  

"I think he was working against the gangs, trying to keep children from
joining," Mrs. Quinn said. "Gang members have little regard for life. I
believe this was a gang-related death. If John saw somebody in trouble, he
would give them the shirt off his back. He was too trusting. He couldn't
distance himself from evil."

U.S. Embassy reports say Quinn was the third American slain in recent weeks.
Christopher Lamora, a spokesman for the State Department's Bureau of
Consular Affairs, told the Bergen (N.J.) Record that the U.S. Embassy has
serious concern about the effectiveness of Honduras' law enforcement and
judicial systems. Associated Press reports that U.S. authorities have issued
warnings to the 12,000 U.S. citizens living in Honduras regarding the
crimes, most of which were committed by juveniles. 

The embassy has called on Honduran authorities to publicly do more to solve
the killing of U.S. citizens in Honduras, according to the Record.

A memorial celebration was held for Quinn in Honduras, his mother said.
Memorial services are planned for 7:30 p.m. Sept. 8 at Grace United
Methodist Church in Wyckoff. He is survived by his mother; a brother,
Connor; and two sisters, Judith Moore and Corey Zielman.

# # #

*McAnally is director of United Methodist News Service, the church's
official news agency headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., with offices in New
York and Washington.  

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United Methodist News Service
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