A funeral service was held in Kenscoff, a farming community near Haiti’s capital, bringing together hundreds of mourners to honor four victims of a large-scale gang attack. The deceased included a mother, father, and their son, as well as a 70-year-old man whose body had been set on fire during the assault. Pastor Jean Robert Dorlus presided over the service at a church that became so crowded that dozens of attendees were forced to stand outside and observe through windows.
The attack itself occurred on Aug. 23 and left 47 people dead while displacing over 2,600 residents. According to the U.N. Human Rights Office, approximately 150 heavily armed gang members participated in the assault. The attackers killed 13 people attempting to flee, pursued another 50 who had sought refuge inside a church, executed 22 on the church courtyard, and killed 12 others behind the church building. The attack also resulted in a mass abduction of more than 50 people, though community leaders and UNICEF intervention later led to the release of six children and seven women.
Local residents have criticized law enforcement’s response to the violence, with some arguing that police failed to intervene quickly enough to prevent the assault. Haiti’s National Police announced an investigation to determine whether the attack resulted from “complicity or negligence.” Pope Leo XIV condemned the massacre and called for the immediate release of remaining hostages and commitments to ensuring public safety.
The incident underscores the broader security crisis affecting Haiti, where armed gangs control approximately 70% of Port-au-Prince and significant territories elsewhere. Gang violence has displaced a record of nearly 1.5 million people in recent years, with the U.N. reporting over 3,050 deaths from January to June. Some residents expressed intentions to leave the region, stating they feared survival of further large-scale attacks.
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