Gunmen Storm Church For Displaced Families

Gunmen linked to a gang coalition killed at least 47 people and kidnapped more than 50 others during an overnight raid on a church sheltering displaced families in Kenscoff, Haiti.

Story Snapshot

Roughly 150 armed gang members attacked the town of Kenscoff on August 23, according to United Nations human rights officials.
Attackers killed 13 people trying to flee, then chased down 50 more who had hidden inside a church.
Haiti’s National Police ordered an investigation into whether officers showed “complicity or negligence” during the attack.
The massacre fits a wider pattern of gangs pushing into areas once considered safer, far from the capital’s core.

Gunmen Storm a Church Sheltering Displaced Families

The attack began on the night of August 23 in Kenscoff, a farming community near Port-au-Prince once known for its relative calm. United Nations human rights spokeswoman Marta Hurtado said about 150 heavily armed gang members took part, first killing 13 people who tried to run before chasing down 50 more who had sought safety inside a church compound.

United Nations spokesman Stéphane Dujarric called the incident a massacre, saying at least 47 people died overnight, including 22 who were “reportedly executed” inside the church where they had gathered for protection. The church had been sheltering people already displaced by gang violence elsewhere in Haiti, turning a place of refuge into the site of the worst single attack.

Local Officials Confirm Deaths as Toll Climbs

Kenscoff Mayor Massillon Jean told reporters that a justice of the peace and the region’s chief prosecutor had confirmed the deaths on the ground. He said 15 people remained missing days after the attack, on top of those already counted as dead or kidnapped. Early tallies from local authorities put the number of dead at 25, before the United Nations later raised the confirmed total to 47.

The French news agency AFP reported that bandits raided a camp for displaced people located inside a church, executing several victims and leaving dozens wounded before abducting others. Haiti’s Prime Minister’s office issued condolences following the attack. Amnesty International separately confirmed the toll, saying at least 47 people were killed and 22 injured, with dozens more reportedly abducted from the same church grounds.

Police Order Investigation Into Possible Failures

Haiti’s National Police publicly ordered an investigation into the response to the attack, saying officials needed to determine the truth “whether due to complicity or negligence.” The order signals concern that security forces may have failed to prevent or respond to the raid quickly enough, though no public findings or case file have been released showing what investigators have found so far.

A Pattern of Gangs Expanding Beyond the Capital

The Kenscoff attack fits a broader shift in Haiti, where armed groups have moved beyond Port-au-Prince into farming towns and rural areas once considered safer ground. United Nations officials have described Haiti’s displacement crisis as reaching an “unprecedented level,” with roughly 1.4 million people forced from their homes as gangs expand their territorial reach through killings, kidnappings, and extortion.

Pope Leo XIV today said that he is praying for the people of Haiti after dozens were killed in an attack on a church in Kenscoff, with many also kidnapped:

'Tragic reports are emerging from Haiti of the horrific massacre carried out in Kenscoff, in which numerous people have… pic.twitter.com/BGypEIcQGl

— Catholic Arena (@CatholicArena) August 30, 2026

Survivors and grieving families in Kenscoff have publicly demanded answers from Haitian authorities about how such a large, coordinated attack could unfold near the capital without a faster security response. For many Haitians already living under the strain of gang control, the massacre reinforces fears that no community, including one gathered in a church for safety, is beyond the reach of armed groups operating with little resistance from the state.