Gang Raid Near Haiti's Capital Kills 30
Gang Raid Near Haiti's Capital Kills 30
The News
A gang coalition raided the farming town of Kenscoff in the hills above Haiti's capital late Sunday, burning homes and killing residents. Reuters and Al Jazeera report at least 30 people were killed.
Kenscoff Mayor Jean Massillon blamed Viv Ansanm, the gang alliance the U.S. government designated a foreign terrorist organization last year.
Massillon cautioned that the count is not settled: "It is still impossible to establish a definitive death toll due to access difficulties and communication problems," he told The Associated Press. AP's own account of the raid said only that "multiple people" were killed.
Timeline
The U.S. government deported more than 160 people to Haiti, the first such flight since the Trump administration won a legal battle to end Temporary Protected Status for some 350,000 Haitians. Haiti's government said some of those flown in were TPS holders. The Department of Homeland Security told the AP on Monday that the group included several gang members with criminal records ranging from assault to drug trafficking.
Armed men raided Kenscoff, setting fire to homes and killing residents, Massillon said. Resident Robert Jean said he heard shooting before dawn and tried to wake neighbors so they could escape.
Survivors found bodies in the streets. Some were carried away wrapped in blood-spattered sheets. Massillon said gang members targeted a church and homes, including one owned by Dr. Jean "Bill" Pape, a well-known physician who runs a Haitian nongovernmental organization treating patients with HIV and tuberculosis.
Haiti's government condemned what it called a heinous criminal attack and said reinforcements were being deployed. Reuters put the toll at 30 dead.
Reactions
"They sowed chaos," Massillon said of the gunmen.
Farmer Mathurin Pierre, 41, told the AP he lost 14 loved ones and that an unknown number of people remain missing.
One woman repeated "They killed my son!" as neighbors tried to comfort her, according to the AP.
Resident Verti Enold-Saint blamed the state as he lifted a sheet over the body of his brother-in-law: "If only we had a good police force that would have placed an armored truck here, what happened here would have been prevented."
Haiti's government said security forces have been ordered to pursue those responsible. "Kenscoff will not be abandoned," its statement said. "The population must remain confident." A spokesman for the U.N.-backed gang suppression force did not immediately return an AP message seeking comment.
What's Next
The government says reinforcements are being deployed to Kenscoff and that security forces are pursuing the attackers. The death toll is expected to move as access to the community improves.
Haiti is scheduled to hold general elections on Dec. 13, its first in more than a decade, and has been registering voters in Port-au-Prince and beyond. Experts have warned that conditions are currently too dangerous to hold the vote.
The U.N.-backed gang suppression force, mandated to help Haitian police fight the gangs, has not reached its full capacity of 5,500 members.
More
Gangs control an estimated 70% of Port-au-Prince, and Viv Ansanm has repeatedly targeted Kenscoff. Al Jazeera notes the town sits in a strategic position overlooking routes into Petion-Ville, where several embassies, upscale hotels and the temporary seat of government are located.
Gang violence has displaced a record 1.5 million people across Haiti. More than 3,100 people were reported killed and another 1,189 injured from January through June, according to U.N. statistics.
Suggested reader poll: Should the U.S. keep deporting Haitians while gangs control most of the capital?
UMass Dartmouth Running Back, 18, Stabbed to Death
Trump Vows 'AI Force,' Czar; Polls Name Change
Sep 20, 2026
Iran Sends Trump Three Conditions to End War
Sep 19, 2026
Faulty AI Intel Nearly Started War With China
Sep 19, 2026
German General Breuer Elected NATO's Top Officer
Sep 19, 2026
Nobel Laureate: War, Sanctions Crushing Iranians
Sep 19, 2026
Dutch Police Disperse Violent Far-Right Hague Protest
Sep 19, 2026
GOP Midterm Odds Fade With 45 Days Left
Sep 19, 2026
Maher Rejects Tarlov's Claim Democrats Are Less Crazy
Sep 19, 2026
Patrick Clancy Breaks Silence After Ex-Wife Killed Kids
Sep 19, 2026
Trump Cuts Park Staff, Diverts Fees to DC
Sep 19, 2026
Holocaust Heirs Sue LA Museums Over Looted Art
Sep 19, 2026
Trump's Fed Chair Hikes Rates, Defying White House
Sep 19, 2026
Miller Drives Push to Deport Illegal Immigrant Children
Sep 19, 2026
US Lifts Sanctions on Eritrea's Military, Ruling Party
Sep 19, 2026
Air Force Admits US Has Space Weapons
Sep 19, 2026
Turkey Revokes License of Iran's Mellat Bank
Sep 19, 2026
Billionaire Ratcliffe Blasts Britain Over Immigration, Taxes
Sep 19, 2026
Navajo Nation Flash Flood Kills Three
Sep 19, 2026
Explosions Over Riyadh Trigger Saudi Air Alerts
Sep 19, 2026
Sep 19, 2026