At least 2 journalists killed, several wounded in gang attack during Haiti hospital reopening

The attack by the gang members on Christmas Eve also led to the casualty of a police officer, however, the status of the officer is not known till now, AP reported.

The deceased journalists were identified as Markenzy Nathoux and Jimmy Jean. A spokesperson of the Online Media Collective, Robest Dimanche, said an unspecified number of reporters were also been in the attack.

The wife of a journalist, who was shot during an armed gang attack on the General Hospital, cries as an ambulance arrives with his body, at a different hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday. (AP Photo)

Haiti’s interim president, Leslie Voltaire, condemned the attack and said that journalists and police were among the victims but did not specify the number of casualties in the incident.

“I send my sympathies to the people who were victims, the national police and the journalists,” Voltaire said.

His government in a statement said that they are “responding firmly to the attack”. “This heinous act, which targets an institution dedicated to health and life, constitutes an unacceptable attack on the very foundations of our society,” the government added.

According to AP, the Radio Télé Métronome posted earlier that seven journalists and two police officers were wounded in the suspected gang attack during the hospital reopening.

In a purported video posted online, Johnson “Izo” André, who is considered to be one of the most powerful gang leaders in Haiti, claimed responsibility for the attack. The video allegedly claimed that the gang of coalition had not authorized the hospital reopening.