At least three people were killed in Haiti when armed attackers opened fire on journalists, police officers, and medical personnel during a press conference at the General Hospital in Port-au-Prince.
The shooting occurred on Tuesday as health officials were preparing to announce the reopening of the nation’s largest public hospital.
Many others were injured in the attack, and graphic images circulating online show several victims, both dead and wounded, inside the hospital.
The General Hospital had only been reclaimed by the government in July after it was overrun and damaged by violent gangs that control large areas of the capital.
Journalists had gathered to cover the event and were awaiting the arrival of Health Minister Lorthe Blema when the gunfire erupted.
Initial reports indicate that two journalists and a police officer lost their lives in the attack.
Photojournalist Dieugo André, who witnessed the violence, described the scene as horrifying, telling The Haitian Times, “It felt like a terrible movie.
I have the blood of several injured journalists on my clothes.”
The shooting is believed to have been carried out by members of the Viv Ansanm gang, a group known for its violent actions in the region.
Leslie Voltaire, head of Haiti’s presidential transitional council, issued a video statement expressing condolences to the victims’ families, particularly to the Haiti National Police and journalists’ associations.
He vowed that the perpetrators would face consequences for the attack.
Haiti continues to grapple with overwhelming gang violence, which has persisted despite the installation of a new transitional government in April and the deployment of an international force, including Kenyan police officers, six months ago.
The country has been in a state of chaos since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, and estimates suggest that as much as 85% of Port-au-Prince remains under gang control.
The United Nations reports that over 5,000 people have been killed in violence this year alone, and the country’s institutions are on the brink of collapse.
