Friends and family mourn journalist killed in Haiti Christmas Eve gang attack at hospital

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Friends, family, and colleagues gathered Thursday at Saint-Pierre Church in Pétion-Ville to bid a final farewell to journalist Jimmy Jean, one of two reporters killed during a gang attack on the General Hospital on December 24. 

“Jimmy, you didn’t even tell me what to do with your son. This is the gift you left us,” Jean’s widow sobbed as she clutched two of their children during the service.

Jean’s mother, overcome with grief, recalled the agony of waiting for news after hearing of the attack. “We kept calling him, but there was no answer. The weight of this loss is unbearable,” she said.

Jean’s family mourned the loss of a father of six, a husband, and a son. Jean, invited to cover the reopening of the main capital hospital, Haiti State University Hospital, HUEH, was fatally shot during the attack. His sudden loss has left his loved ones grief-stricken, with his colleagues and family demanding justice from the Haitian government. 

The funeral for Mackendy Nathoux, the second journalist who lost his life that day, is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 18.

The attack, which also claimed the life of a police officer, marked a grim day for journalism in the country and underscored the dangers faced daily by reporters covering stories amid escalating gang violence.

Journalists injured in Dec. 24 attack face dire medical needs

The seven journalists injured during the attack are grappling with life-altering injuries and limited medical resources in Haiti. Among them, Florise Desronvil, a mother of a 13-year-old, is confined to her home with two bullets lodged in her body.

“I was shot in the back and near my waist. The bullet lodged close to my pelvis,” Desronvil said in an interview with The Haïtian Times via WhatsApp on Jan.10. “Doctors here told me surgery could paralyze me, so I need to go abroad for proper treatment.”

Desronvil’s injuries have left her unable to care for her child or her ailing mother. “I can’t even bend to use a container for basic needs,” she added, appealing for help. “I can no longer walk properly.”

Desronvil depends on her brother, grandson, friends, and neighbors to help meet her daily needs. Her life was irreversibly altered in a matter of seconds during the gang attack, leaving her family overwhelmed with grief.

“This news shocked us—it was God who saved my sister,” her brother told The Haitian Times, recounting how his wife broke the news to him.

“I still can’t sleep or feel at ease after hearing what happened,” added Dufred Deronvil, the eldest sibling, echoing his younger sister’s pleas for assistance.

Another injured journalist, Jocelyn Chandel, remains in the hospital, where he awaits a second surgery after bullets struck his hand and mouth. Chandel’s situation worsened when gangs burned his home and motorcycle in Nazon.

Medical staff have threatened to discharge Chandel due to the lack of resources for a second surgery on his mouth, leaving him in dire need of care.

“The doctor said I need another surgery within three months, or I could lose my chin and teeth,” Chandel said. “I can only eat liquids, and I can’t control my saliva. I need help to get to Cuba for specialized care.”

Despite the government’s promises to assist victims and their families, the journalists say little has materialized. A commission to assist the injured victims and their families was established to cover funeral costs, medical expenses, and psychological support. While funeral costs, and some medical expenses were covered, concrete action remains elusive.

The attack highlights continuous impunity and  risks to Press Freedom in Haiti

The Dec. 24 attack unfolded as journalists covered the reopening of the General Hospital, a high-profile event organized by then-Health Minister Duckenson Lorthé Blema. Gunfire erupted when gangs targeted a police patrol near the hospital, shooting journalists standing at the facility entrance, trapping others, staff and attendees. Survivors were eventually rescued by agents from the General Security Unit of the National Palace (USGPN), who scaled walls to escort them to safety The hospital has been closed since February 2024.

“The doctor said I need another surgery within three months, or I could lose my chin and teeth.”

Jocelyn Chandel, one of the injured journalists

“It’s a terrible moment I will never forget,” said Chandel, speaking to The Haitian Times via WhatsApp. “I was standing in front of the facility when I was hit with two bullets, one in my right hand and the other in my lower mouth.”

The incident has fueled criticism of Blema for holding the event without adequate police coordination and led to his dismissal. It also underscores Haiti’s worsening impunity for crimes against journalists and spotlighted Haiti’s precarious press freedom, with the nation topping the Committee to Protect Journalists’ (CPJ) Global Impunity Index since 2023.

Since 2019, at least seven journalists have been killed in Haiti, with most cases unresolved. CPJ cites a weakened judiciary, rampant gang violence, and political instability as barriers to justice. The organization’s 2024 Global Impunity Index highlights these unresolved murders, including that of Garry Tesse, whose mutilated remains were found six days after his disappearance in October 2022.

“This year, Haiti climbed to the top of the impunity index, reflecting the unresolved murders of its journalists,” CPJ noted in its latest report.

As the Haitian press mourns Jean and Nathoux, the call for accountability grows louder. For injured journalists, the fight is also for survival—physically and financially—in a nation where press freedom is under siege.

Jacques Desrosiers, Secretary General of the Haitian Journalists Association (AJH), has documented around 40 journalist killings from 1823 to 2023. In 2022 alone, about seven journalists lost their lives.

“Some are victims of armed gang wars; others are killed during protests or left dead in the streets,” said Desrosiers, adding that journalists’ associations continue to demand the identification and prosecution of those responsible.

The post Friends and family mourn journalist killed in Haiti Christmas Eve gang attack at hospital appeared first on The Haitian Times.

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Friends and family mourn journalist killed in Haiti Christmas Eve gang attack at hospital was first posted on January 17, 2025 at 11:25 am.