Haitians demand answers after gang attack kills 47, kidnaps dozens

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haiti's National Police faced growing public anger on Thursday over why authorities did not stop a gang assault that left 47 people dead and more than 50 kidnapped in the hillside community of Kenscoff, near the capital.

At a press conference, police spokesperson Garry Desrosiers took only a handful of questions and offered few specifics. When asked about plans to rescue the hostages, he said, "We cannot talk about any plans." He also declined to provide details on intelligence efforts, saying, "I'm not in a position to give you detailed information."

Desrosiers expressed condolences to the victims' families and said police are working to help hundreds of displaced residents return home, but he did not explain how.

The attack, launched late Sunday, has heightened fears across Port-au-Prince. One gang leader has threatened to execute all hostages if any gang members are killed during security operations. Desrosiers also warned that the same gang leader has threatened to attack Tabarre, a neighborhood that hosts the U.S. embassy.

Haiti's police chief, Vladimir Paraison, was absent from the press conference. He has previously defended security measures in Kenscoff and said an investigation would determine whether the attack resulted from "complicity or negligence."

Data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data project shows that security operations had reduced violence in Kenscoff by 66% between January and August this year, before Sunday's assault.

The violence comes as Haiti prepares for its first general election in over a decade, though experts warn that insecurity remains widespread. Armed groups control an estimated 70% of Port-au-Prince and large areas of central Haiti. Gang violence has displaced a record 1.5 million people nationwide, and more than 3,050 people were killed between January and June, according to U.N. figures.