American Missionary Killed in Burkina Faso Terrorist Attack

An American missionary was among those killed in a terrorist attack in the west African nation of Burkina Faso last Friday.

Missionary Mike Riddering was killed while sitting in a cafe in the capital city of Ouagadougou, when the al Qaeda militants opened fire, killing 30 people, according to Reuters.

Riddering moved to Burkina Faso with his wife, Amy, in 2011, where he started his missionary work and later opened up an orphanage.

State Department spokesman Adm. John Kirby confirmed Riddering's death in a statement.

Brand Brook, who knew Riddering from his orphanage remembered him as a good person who was helping out the country.

"Every week, Mike would go out and feed the widows in the surrounding villages. He would bring them grains and cooking oil and anything else they might need." said Brook in an interview with the media.

Riddering and his wife ran an orphanage called "Ailes de Refuge" or "Wings of Refuge" in English. The couple has two grown biological children and an adopted daughter.

In a Facebook post, Riddering's wife shared about the work her husband did.

"He made an eternal impact on an immeasurable number of people in Burkina Faso and throughout the world. His legacy on earth will not be forgotten," she said.