Haitian gangs killed at least 47 people and injured more than 22 in a brutal massacre inside a church on Sunday night.
The Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste reported that the deadly church massacre occurred in Kenscoff, a hillside commune overlooking the Haitian capital city of Port-au-Prince. Per the newspaper, the neighborhood and its outskirts were under drone surveillance for several days after gangs had gained ground. Gang members opened fire inside a local church that had been serving as a shelter for displaced people.
The U.N. reportedly detailed that at least 47 were killed, and more than 22 were left wounded, noting that the figures could change. According to Le Nouvelliste, Johnson “Izo 2” Andre, the leader of the violent 5 Segonn (“5 Seconds”) gang, has claimed responsibility for the Kenscoff massacre. 5 Segonn is part of the broader Viv Ansanm (“Living Together”) gang coalition led by Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier.
Andre reportedly shared a video on social media showing nearly 20 people, including children, who were taken hostage during the assault — threatening to execute them in the event of a law enforcement attack.
“If one of my dogs or one of my soldiers is killed, these people will be killed,” Andre reportedly affirmed in the video, per Le Nouvelliste.
Speaking to AFP on Monday, Kenscoff Mayor Jean Massillon detailed that some of the killings were carried out “execution-style.” Massillon, who described the tragedy as a “night of terror,” pointed out that Kenscoff has been plagued by gang violence for months and attributed the brutal killings to Viv Ansanm.
“The bandits raided a displaced persons camp located in a church. They executed several people. There are fatalities and dozens of wounded. Some people were abducted by the criminals,” Massillon told AFP.
The Office of Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé expressed its condolences to the victims of the Kenscoff massacre in an official statement on Monday, affirming that it stands in solidarity with those affected. The office emphasized, “Let there be no mistake: this morning is also a challenge,” stressing that the Haitian government will respond to the events with the force of law and the legitimate exercise of law enforcement.
Per the statement, the Haitian government has placed all of the nation’s security forces on high alert and deployed reinforcements to the entire territory of Kenscoff to restore the government’s authority in the area.
“The Government’s message is unequivocal: no armed group will thrive in Haiti. Criminals will be granted neither a truce, nor refuge, nor impunity. The security forces have been tasked with pursuing them, neutralizing them, and rendering them incapable of causing harm,” the statement read in part.
“The public must remain confident. The government stands firm. It will not retreat, it will not compromise, and it will not back down,” the text continued. “Kenscoff will not be abandoned. Haiti will not be left at the mercy of bandits. The Republic will prevail.”
Le Nouvelliste, citing details from a U.N. report, detailed that Sunday’s attack in Kenscoff marks the latest in a series of assaults launched by Haitian gangs at the hillside commune. In early July, a a series of gang attacks in Kenscoff and the Pétion-Ville commune killed at least 61 people, including 14 children.
Due to its strategic location, control of Kenscoff’s territory is highly coveted by the gangs, as it overlooks Port-au-Prince and routes that lead to the nearby neighborhood of Pétion-Ville, which houses several embassies and the seat of Haiti’s current government. At least 262 people, including 147 gang members, were killed in Kenscoff in a series of violent attacks between January and March 2025.
Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.