Armed men fire on Haiti hospital reopening, killing at least three

Haiti's interim president condemns attack on journalists and police at hospital reopening press conference, amid gang violence.

 At least three people were killed and others injured on Tuesday (December 24, 2024) when armed men opened fire on a group of journalists gathered for a government press conference set to announce the reopening of Haiti’s largest public hospital, a witness to the attack told Reuters.

Two reporters and a police officer were killed, said a journalist at the scene who asked not to be named.

Videos from local media livestreaming the attack showed journalists huddled on the floor of the hospital lobby as a barrage of bullets flew by. Some appeared to have been hit and were bleeding.

Armed gangs in Haiti, with near-total control over capital Port-au-Prince and wide remit over the rest of the country, have targeted hospitals to show their muscle over the government, forcing most to shut down.

“What happened today is unacceptable,” said Leslie Voltaire, who heads Haiti’s transitional presidential council, in a video message.

Journalists were invited to arrive at the hospital from 8 a.m. (1300 GMT) to the press conference in the downtown area of the capital Port-au-Prince with Haiti’s new health minister. They were still awaiting the minister when shooting began around 11 a.m.

Health Minister Duckenson Lorthe Blema was installed in November in a cabinet reshuffle when former Prime Minister Garry Conille was ousted after just six months in office.