Two journalists and a police officer were killed on Tuesday when gang members attacked the reopening of a hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, local media and authorities confirmed.
Markenzy Nathoux and Jimmy Jean, journalists covering the event at the State University of Haiti Hospital, were fatally shot during the assault by members of the “Viv Ansanm” (Living Together) gang coalition, according to Robest Dimanche, spokesperson for the Online Media Collective.
Several other journalists were injured in the shootout and were taken to a separate clinic for treatment, Dimanche added.
Haitian National Police spokesman Lionel Lazarre confirmed that a police officer was also killed in the attack but provided no further details.
The State University of Haiti Hospital, also known as General Hospital, had been closed since February after a previous attack by the same gang. The facility was reopening when assailants opened fire, creating chaos and panic.
Witnesses reported multiple injuries, though the exact number remains unclear. Local news outlet Gazette Haiti shared images of wounded victims lying on the hospital floor, describing scenes of total panic in the city centre.
The attack comes shortly after the gang coalition reportedly set fire to another Port-au-Prince clinic, Bernard Mevs Hospital, last week, causing extensive damage but no casualties.
Leslie Voltaire, president of Haiti’s transitional ruling council, condemned the violence as unacceptable and extended sympathies to the victims’ families.
Tuesday’s shooting underscores the deteriorating security situation in Haiti, where gang violence has surged in recent months. Attacks by armed groups have led to widespread killings, kidnappings, and destruction of critical infrastructure, including a massacre earlier this month that claimed nearly 200 lives.
Efforts to restore order, including a multinational mission led by Kenya and supported by the UN and the US, have so far failed to stem the violence.
Port-au-Prince remains gripped by fear as gangs continue to target hospitals, public infrastructure, and neighborhoods, further destabilizing the already struggling Caribbean nation.
