At least 40 people have been killed in a church massacre after gang members attacked displaced people huddled in the religious building in a ‘night of terror’.
The brutal attack took place on Sunday in the town of Kenscoff, Haiti, in the hills above the capital.
Mayor Massillon Jean described execution-style killings in a city plagued by gang violence since last year.
He said: ‘We have counted about forty bodies. Searches continue. Some people are still missing.
“The bandits invaded a displaced persons camp located in a church. They executed several people. There are deaths and dozens of injuries. Some people have been kidnapped by the criminals.”
Jean added that the attackers targeted, among other things, a location where people who were already fleeing violence lived.
The UN estimates a total death toll of at least 47 victims and another 22 injured in the overnight gang attack. They added that the numbers are subject to change.
In a statement issued after the attack, Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime’s office expressed “deep condolences” to the relatives and all victims of the “heinous attack.”
The government also announced that reinforcements would be sent to restore security in the area.
At least 40 people have been killed in a church massacre after gang members attacked displaced people huddled in the religious building during a ‘night of terror’
The brutal attack took place on Sunday in the town of Kenscoff, Haiti, in the hills above the capital
Mayor Massilon Jean described execution-style killings in a city plagued by gang violence since last year
“Kenscoff will not be abandoned,” he added. “The authority of the government will be restored, without weakness and without delay.”
Powerful gangs under a broad alliance have for years strengthened their influence in Haiti’s capital and expanded into nearby regions, despite efforts by foreign nations to strengthen the country’s armed police.
Attacks in Kenscoff over two months in early 2025 killed more than 260 people and destroyed or burned 200 homes, forcing 3,000 people to flee, according to UN estimates.
Nearly a dozen more attacks have taken place since then, including rapes, kidnappings, arson and livestock theft.
Several locals accused the government of not doing enough to protect residents amid ongoing gang violence.
“My family is the victim,” Coriolan Kendy said as he stood over his cousin’s body, lying on the road in a blood-stained sheet.
“People in Kenscoff are suffering and the government is to blame.”
Another resident, Orisme, who did not share his last name, appealed for the prime minister’s support.
“We live in humiliation and they do nothing for us,” he said.
According to some residents, dozens of police officers had tried to repel the armed men that night, leaving some injured. They added that they had not identified any gang members among the dead.
People mourn the bodies of people they said were their relatives who died in the gang attack
Kenscoff, a mountainous municipality southeast of the Haitian capital, has been the scene of clashes and raids for several months by armed groups seeking to expand their control
Nearly 1.5 million Haitians are currently displaced in a country of about 11 million people, and more than five million people face severe food insecurity, UN figures show.
Several locals accused the government of not doing enough to protect residents amid ongoing gang violence
Local media said several houses had been set on fire, including the home of Jean William Pape, a leading public health expert.
“The police never gave up,” National Police Chief Vladimir Paraison told reporters later in the day during a visit to Kenscoff.
Kenscoff, a mountainous community southeast of the Haitian capital, has been the scene of clashes and raids for several months by armed groups seeking to expand their control.
Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, has suffered for years from chronic political instability, natural disasters, corruption and violence from powerful gangs guilty of rampant killings, rape, looting and kidnapping.
According to UN figures, nearly 1.5 million Haitians are currently displaced in a country of about 11 million people, and more than five million people face severe food insecurity.
The crisis worsened in 2024, when gangs launched a wave of violence that forced the unelected prime minister to resign.
In November of that year, 150 Haitians were killed by vigilante groups who left the corpses of gangsters dismembered and burned in the streets.
Haiti’s security crisis escalated dramatically as gangs shot at commercial planes, flights into the country were halted and armed gangs attacked parts of the capital.
Criminal gangs have tried to take advantage of Haiti’s often vacant government, which has struggled to control the country since the devastating 2010 earthquake that destroyed most of its infrastructure.
Haiti has not held an election since 2016. The last president, Jovenel Moise, was assassinated in July 2021 and not replaced.
General elections are scheduled for December this year.
