On Sunday night, armed members of a gang coalition entered the farming community of Kenscoff, a hillside village north of Port‑au‑Prince, Haiti. The attack, described by Mayor Jean Massillon as a coordinated raid, resulted in homes being set on fire and multiple residents killed.
Mayor Massillon told the Associated Press that the exact number of fatalities remains unclear because of limited access to the area and communication challenges. “It is still impossible to establish a definitive death toll due to access difficulties and communication problems,” he said.
Witnesses described a scene of grief and chaos early Monday morning. One woman repeatedly shouted, “They killed my son!” as neighbors tried to console her. Another resident collapsed on the road, clutching his arm while crying out for his missing family members.
Robert Jean recounted hearing gunfire before dawn and scrambling to wake his neighbors. He searched frantically for his brother, who was later confirmed dead. “I was calling to see if everyone was safe. I could not find my brother,” Jean said.
Local resident Verti Enold‑Saint blamed the lack of a strong police presence for the tragedy. “If only we had a good police force that would have placed an armored truck here, what happened here would have been prevented,” he said while covering the body of his brother‑in‑law.
Farmer Mathurin Pierre, 41, told reporters he has lost 14 loved ones in the assault and that several others remain missing.
Mayor Massillon attributed the violence to members of the Viv Ansanm coalition, which the United States designated a foreign terrorist organization last year. “They sowed chaos,” he said, adding that the gang targeted a local church and homes, including the residence of Dr. Jean “Bill” Pape, a well‑known physician who runs a nongovernmental organization providing care for patients with HIV and tuberculosis.
The Haitian government issued a statement condemning the attack as a “heinous criminal act” and announced that reinforcements are being deployed to the area. “Kenscoff will not be abandoned,” the statement read, adding that security forces have been ordered to pursue those responsible and urging the population to remain confident.
Gang control is estimated to affect roughly 70% of Port‑au‑Prince, and the Viv Ansanm group has repeatedly targeted nearby Kenscoff. According to United Nations statistics, gang violence has displaced a record 1.5 million Haitians, with more than 3,100 people killed and 1,189 injured between January and June of this year.
The assault follows a recent U.S. deportation of more than 160 individuals to Haiti, the first such action since the Trump administration ended Temporary Protected Status for many Haitians. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said several of those deported were gang members with criminal records ranging from assault to drug trafficking.
Haiti is slated to hold general elections on December 13, the first national vote in over a decade. Experts warn that the prevailing insecurity could jeopardize the ability to conduct free and fair elections.
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
