At Least 47 Dead And 50 Kidnapped In Devastating Haiti Gang Attack — And The Hostage Threat Is Chilling

A once-peaceful community in the hills above Haiti's capital has become the site of one of the country's deadliest gang attacks this year — and the nightmare isn't over yet.

At least 47 people were killed and more than 50 others kidnapped when armed men attacked Kenscoff, a mountain town near Port-au-Prince, over the weekend, according to the United Nations.

Among the dead: at least five children.

The Attack That Shattered A Safe Haven

Sunday's assault pierced what many believed was improving security in the Caribbean nation. Kenscoff, nestled in the hills, had been seen as a relative sanctuary from the gang violence that has consumed much of Haiti.

But that illusion was shattered when members of Viv Ansanm — a powerful gang coalition that the US has designated as a foreign terrorist organization — stormed the community.

The attackers set fire to at least 25 homes and killed two government employees, including the mayor's cousin who served as his security detail, the Guardian reports.

"I Will Kill All Of Them"

The situation remains dire. In a video posted on social media, the gang leader behind the attack — who identifies himself as Izo 2 — issued a chilling threat to Haiti's national police director.

"Paraison, if any of our soldiers are hurt, I will kill all of them," he warned, referring to the hostages.

The gang leader told authorities not to use drones to repel gangs in the area. Experts say Izo 2, also known as Didi, leads the armed group in Kenscoff on behalf of and in coordination with Izo (Johnson André), one of Haiti's most powerful gang members.

"He's running a kind of franchise cell for other gangs," Romain Le Cour, head of Haiti observatory at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, told the Guardian.

Why This Attack Matters

This wasn't random violence. Experts believe the attack serves multiple strategic purposes for the gangs.

It forces Haiti's already stretched police and UN-backed gang suppression forces to spread their limited resources even thinner. "They don't have enough personnel," Le Cour explained. "If you force them to deploy more troops, it would inevitably be at the expense of other areas."

It's also a message — and the timing matters. Haiti is preparing to hold general elections on December 13th, the first in more than a decade.

"This is a message to the government and the police that their claims of protection do not match reality," Le Cour said. "The gangs are saying: when we choose to attack, we can, and we will succeed."

A Country In Crisis

The numbers paint a grim picture of Haiti's security situation.

Armed gangs now control an estimated 70% of Port-au-Prince and large swaths of land across Haiti's central region. Gang violence has displaced a record 1.5 million people across the country.

From January to June this year alone, more than 3,050 people were reported killed and another 1,400 injured, according to UN statistics released Tuesday.

Sunday's attack on Kenscoff was the largest yet, though the area had experienced its first major attack in January 2025, followed by sporadic violence since then.

What Happens Next

Kenscoff's mayor, Jean Massillon, vowed to continue working to bring peace to the community. "The atrocity of this crime reminds us that we have to continue working stronger every day," he said.

But some survivors are accusing the government of not providing enough protection before the attack. The police have rejected those accusations.

If police and armored vehicles were indeed stationed in Kenscoff before the attack, as some reports suggest, the breach raises serious questions. "You let the gangs come in even if you had everything in place?" Le Cour asked.

For now, gangs continue to roam Kenscoff's periphery, and more than 50 hostages remain in captivity, their lives hanging in the balance of a gang leader's ultimatum.

This is what a security crisis looks like — and for the people of Haiti, there's no clear end in sight.

Sources:

• The Guardian - At least 47 killed and dozens kidnapped in gang attack near Haiti capital