Gang kills 47 in church attack, torches animals in Haiti

At least 47 people were killed and 22 others injured when gang members attacked a church sheltering displaced people just outside Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, according to the United Nations.

The United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) told France 24 that the death toll could rise as it learns more about the attack on the hillside community of Kenscoff. 

Kenscoff Mayor Massillon Jean said the attack began around 10:30 p.m. Sunday and continued into Monday, and he blamed the Viv Ansanm gang coalition. 

“Last night was a night of terror that struck the commune of Kenscoff,” Jean told Radio Magic 9 on Monday, The Haitian Times reported. 

Survivors reported burned homes and abductions.

Agenzia Fides, the information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies, said the buildings torched by the gang included a worship center owned by the evangelical Church of the Ark of the New Covenant, near the municipal cemetery in the center of town. Animals, including horses, were also killed.

In a translated statement, the Haitian government said reinforcements have been sent to support local police.

“Let there be no mistake: this time of mourning is also a challenge. And to this challenge, the Government responds with the force of law and the legitimate exercise of state force,” the press statement said.

“All security forces have been placed on maximum alert. Reinforcements are being deployed. The orders are clear: protect, secure, intervene. Government authority will be restored — firmly and without delay — throughout the entire territory of Kenscoff,” officials continued.

“The Government’s message is unequivocal: no armed group will thrive in Haiti. Criminals will find no truce, no refuge, and no impunity. Security forces have been tasked with pursuing, neutralizing, and incapacitating them.”

BINUH reported Wednesday that at least 1,408 people were killed and 656 injured across Haiti in the second quarter of 2026, from April through June. Gang attacks accounted for 55% of everyone killed or injured during the quarter.

“These figures show that the population continues to bear an unacceptable toll from violence,” Carlos Ruiz Massieu, the U.N. special representative in Haiti and head of BINUH, said in a statement. “Their protection must remain at the heart of all efforts to restore security, particularly for children, women and other people exposed to heightened risks.”

Violent clashes between rival gangs in the Plaine du Cul-de-Sac and several neighborhoods of Cité Soleil — fueled by competition for territory and illegal revenue — have pushed violence in those parts of the capital to levels not seen since at least early 2024, the U.N. said. More than 18,000 people were also forced to flee their homes, leaving many without access to services such as healthcare and education.