Family of American caught in Congo failed coup says their son went to Africa on vacation
By HANNAH SCHOENBAUM and JESSICA DONATI
Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (AP) — The family of an American caught up in a failed coup attempt in Congo says their son, Tyler Thompson, was in Africa on vacation with family friends and had not previously engaged in political activism. His stepmother, Miranda Thompson, said in a statement provided to The Associated Press that: “We have no idea how he got wrapped up in this situation, which is completely out of character for him.” Thompson was among at least two other Americans who were named by the Congolese army as part of a failed effort to overthrow the government in Kinshasa in the early hours of Sunday morning.