A horrifying attack shook Haiti when armed gang members stormed through a town in the country’s key farming region, killing at least 70 people and forcing over 6,000 to flee their homes. This brutal attack happened in the early hours of Thursday in Pont-Sonde, a town in the Artibonite region, known as Haiti’s breadbasket because of its agricultural importance. The gang, led by a notorious leader named Luckson Elan, claimed responsibility for the massacre, saying it was revenge for the locals not resisting while the police and vigilante groups killed his men.
As the gang moved through the town, they set fire to homes and vehicles, causing destruction and panic. Local officials described the scene as one of the deadliest in recent years, even in a country like Haiti, which has grown used to violence but never on this scale. The United Nations said that more than 6,000 people had to leave their homes, seeking refuge in nearby towns like Saint-Marc or in makeshift camps. Most of these people are being sheltered by friends and family, but the situation remains dire.
Prime Minister Garry Conille expressed his shock and outrage, calling the crime an attack not just on the victims but on the entire nation. He vowed to reinforce security in the area, but for many Haitians, the response came too late. Haiti’s police force sent reinforcements, but questions are being raised about why the gang faced no resistance when they first launched the attack.
This massacre is part of a bigger problem in Haiti, where armed gangs now control most of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and are expanding their reach to other regions. These gangs have made life unbearable, causing widespread hunger and forcing hundreds of thousands of people out of their homes. In the town of Pont-Sonde, gang members went from house to house, shooting people and burning down anything in their path. Many were shot in the head as they ran for their lives.
One local leader, Bertide Horace, spoke about how helpless the town was. Even though there was an armored truck nearby, no one took action. She also mentioned that two of her own family members were injured in the attack. The violence was so severe that it’s believed the actual death toll could be even higher, as entire families were wiped out and their bodies have yet to be recovered.
For months, there had been rumors that a massacre like this was coming. It was said to be in retaliation for the townspeople helping a vigilante group that was trying to stop the gang from extorting money on the main highway. Rights organizations have criticized the government for not acting on this intelligence, saying the tragedy could have been prevented if the state had done its job.
The Gran Grif gang, which carried out the attack, has been involved in numerous violent crimes, including kidnappings, murders, and even child recruitment. Luckson Elan, the gang’s leader, is on the United Nations sanctions list, but that has done little to stop his reign of terror.
The situation in Haiti is worsening by the day, and promised international support to help restore order has been slow to arrive. While a U.N.-backed mission has deployed some officers, mostly from Kenya, only around 400 have been sent, far fewer than what was pledged. Meanwhile, gang violence has killed over 3,600 people since January alone. The gangs are heavily armed, mostly through illegal gun trafficking from the United States.
Haiti’s food and medical supplies are also running low as gangs block humanitarian aid from reaching the people. Even neighboring countries, like the Dominican Republic and the U.S., are deporting migrants back to Haiti, worsening the crisis. The world is watching as Haiti continues to struggle with this growing chaos, but real help still feels far away for those trapped in the violence.
