Christmas Eve gang attack at Haiti state hospital leaves police officer, two journalists dead, others injured | BREAKING NEWS

PORT-AU-PRINCE — A Haitian National Police (PNH) officer and two journalists were killed, and several others were injured, when armed gangs opened fire during the attempted reopening of the State University Hospital of Haiti (HUEH), which had been shuttered since February. The journalists, trapped inside the hospital for over an hour, were eventually evacuated after reinforcements arrived.

“It felt like a terrible movie,” said Dieugo André, a photojournalist who witnessed the violence. André also contributes to The Haitian Times.  “I have the blood of several injured journalists on my clothes.”

The injured include journalists Robens Pétion, Réginald Baltazar, Velondie Miracle, Florise Deronvil, Jean-Jack Aspèges, Jocelyn Justin, and Rosemond Vernet. PNH spokesperson Lionel Lazarre said he had not received instructions to intervene during the attack.

The hospital’s reopening was meant to symbolize progress under new Health Minister Duckenson Lorthé Blema, who recently reopened the Maternity Isaïe Jeanty Hospital, commonly known as Chancerelles. The Ministry of Public Health had appointed a new medical director for HUEH as part of the effort to restore services.

Instead, the ceremony was derailed as heavy gunfire erupted near the hospital at around 11 a.m., with gangs reportedly aiming to disrupt the event. Police on-site struggled to contain the attackers, delaying the arrival of the health minister.

The scene quickly descended into chaos as journalists and officials scattered, running for their lives while desperately searching for shelter, according to Arnold Junior Pierre, a reporter at the scene who also contributes to The Haitian Times. Many hid under shipping containers or old, burned-out cars, trying to escape the fury of the armed gangs unleashing gunfire around the hospital.

Reinforcements from the PNH and Kenyan officers with the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) eventually secured the area, allowing journalists to be evacuated and the injured to be transported to a hospital in Delmas.

“The MSS is on its way with reinforcements,” said Jack Ombaka, MSS spokesperson, in a group communication with journalists late in the evening. 

When asked by The Haitian Times why the MSS had not been involved earlier, Ombaka confirmed they were not initially informed of the situation. 

The attack highlights the growing toll of gang violence in Haiti, where more than 5,000 people have been killed this year, including at least 207 victims of a December massacre by the Wharf Jérémie gang. The violence has left the nation’s healthcare and security systems in disarray, compounding the daily struggles faced by millions of Haitians.

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