In a harrowing incident that illustrates the deepening crisis of gang violence in Haiti, armed bandits invaded a church service being live-streamed on Facebook last Sunday.
The event took place at Christ Rendez-vous Church in the Delmas 75 neighborhood of Port-au-Prince.
Viewers watched in horror as, mid-service, a choir member halted, attempting to figure out who the advancing figures were before the entire choir began to disperse. Moments later, the screen faded to black.
Pastor Julio Volcy took to social media shortly after, “Bandits invade the church. I ask for your help to pray for us.”
While efforts to reach a Haitian police spokesperson or to contact Pastor Volcy directly were unsuccessful, local media reported several attendees were kidnapped.
Haiti’s struggles with gang-related violence and kidnappings are well documented.
Disturbingly, these criminals do not spare even places of worship. Cases of kidnappings from church premises have become alarmingly familiar.
A notable incident from 2021 involved four individuals, including a pastor and a recognized pianist, being abducted during a live broadcast on social media.
This event occurred at the Seventh-day Adventist Gospel Kreyòl Ministry Church in Diquini, a region bordering metropolitan Port-au-Prince.
According to the United Nations, gang violence in Haiti has surged to unprecedented levels.
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The death toll this year alone surpasses 2,500, with no less than 970 Haitians kidnapped.
In addition, gang activities have driven thousands from their homes, effectively depopulating entire neighborhoods.
The escalating violence recently claimed a U.S. citizen, Lauren Charles.
She was reportedly attacked and fatally shot by gang members in the Cul-de-Sac plain of Port-au-Prince.
A subsequent search for her passport, an image of which was shared widely on Haitian social media, was initiated by her family to facilitate the repatriation of her remains.
The mounting violence has triggered the displacement of over ten thousand Haitians, many of whom now find themselves in makeshift camps or reliant on the hospitality of host families.