According to the United Nations, at least 47 individuals lost their lives and 22 others sustained injuries during a gang assault on a community overlooking Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, overnight on Sunday. This incident has sparked outrage regarding the inadequate protection against ongoing violent attacks.
The United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti noted that the casualty figures may still be subject to change.
Jean Massillon, the mayor of Kenscoff, reported that armed assailants invaded the area late Sunday evening, setting homes ablaze and killing residents.
The hillside neighborhood, which overlooks key access routes to the capital, has endured over a dozen assaults by armed groups since the previous year, displacing thousands from their residences.
For years, powerful gangs united in a broad coalition have solidified their control over Haiti’s capital and extended their reach into surrounding areas, despite efforts from foreign nations to bolster the capabilities of the outmatched police force.
While Haiti’s government condemned the “atrocious attack” and vowed to enhance security measures, local residents called for the resignation of the police chief, accusing officers of failing to protect individuals who were killed mere minutes away from the police station.
“The government will not abandon Kenscoff,” stated the prime minister’s office on social media. “We will restore governmental authority without hesitation or delay.”
Paul Hunter from CBC accompanied UN Secretary-General António Guterres on a visit to Haiti’s perilous, gang-dominated capital, Port-au-Prince, where a newly established UN-supported Gang Suppression Force is working to reduce violence and restore order. | CORRECTION (June 18, 2026): An earlier version of this video and description referred to this mission as a UN force. In actuality, it is a multinational initiative backed by the United Nations.
‘They brought chaos’
As dawn broke on Monday, wails echoed through Kenscoff as survivors discovered the bodies of their loved ones lying in the streets.
“They killed my son!” one woman cried out repeatedly while others nearby attempted to console her.
A distraught man collapsed on the roadside, resting his head on his arm while he wept on the ground. Nearby, people began to gather the bodies of the deceased, some covered in blood-stained sheets.
Robert Jean recounted hearing gunfire before dawn and attempting to wake people to help them escape the violence. He frantically searched for his brother, who was among the deceased: “I was calling out to see if everyone was safe. I couldn’t locate my brother.”
Another resident of Kenscoff held the government responsible for the violence. “If we had a competent police force that could have deployed an armored vehicle here, this tragedy could have been averted,” stated Verti Enold-Saint as he covered his brother-in-law’s body with a sheet.
Mathurin Pierre, a 41-year-old farmer, shared with The Associated Press that he lost 14 family members, with an unknown number still unaccounted for.
Kenscoff residents attempt to overturn a car to block a street as they demand police action following the deadly assault. (Odelyn Joseph/The Associated Press)
Massillon attributed the violence to members of Viv Ansanm, a group designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. government last year.
“They brought chaos,” Massillon stated.
He mentioned that gang members specifically targeted a church and residences, including those belonging to Dr. Jean (Bill) Pape, a distinguished physician who runs a non-governmental organization in Haiti that aids patients, including those suffering from HIV and tuberculosis.
Gangs are estimated to control 70 percent of Port-au-Prince, with Viv Ansanm frequently attacking the nearby Kenscoff area.
Gang-related violence has led to the displacement of a record 1.5 million individuals throughout Haiti, where more than 3,100 fatalities were reported from January to June, along with an additional 1,189 injuries, as per UN data.
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This latest assault occurred less than a week after the U.S. government sent back more than 160 individuals to the troubled Caribbean nation, marking the first deportations since the Trump administration’s legal victory that ended temporary protected status (TPS) for around 350,000 Haitians.
The Haitian government indicated that some of those deported were TPS beneficiaries who had been living legally in the U.S., as well as individuals of Haitian descent who were not born in Haiti. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated on Monday that among those deported on Friday were several gang members with criminal histories including assault and drug trafficking.
Haiti is set to conduct general elections for the first time in over a decade on December 13, with voter registration ongoing in Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas. Experts have cautioned that the current environment is too perilous for elections to take place.