Haiti’s online media association has confirmed that two reporters were killed and others were wounded in a gang attack on Tuesday on the reopening of Port-au-Prince’s biggest public hospital.
Street gangs have taken over an estimated 85% of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, and they forced the closure of the General Hospital early this year.
Authorities had pledged to reopen the facility on Tuesday but as journalists gathered to cover the event, suspected gang members opened fire in a vicious Christmas eve attack.
Robest Dimanche, a spokesman for the Online Media Collective, identified the dead journalists as Markenzy Nathoux and Jimmy Jean. Mr Dimanche said an unspecified number of reporters had also been wounded in the attack, which he blamed on the Viv Ansanm gang.
Haiti’s interim president, Leslie Voltaire, said in an address to the nation that journalists and police were among the victims of the vicious Christmas Eve attack.
“I send my sympathies to the people who were victims, the national police and the journalists,” Mr Voltaire said, pledging “this crime is not going to go unpunished”.
He did not specify how many casualties there were, or give a breakdown for the dead or wounded.
Radio Tele Metronome initially reported that seven journalists and two police officers were wounded. Police and officials did not immediately respond to calls for information on the attack.
