In the early hours of September 11, 2025, the quiet fishing village of Labodrie, nestled in Cabaret’s Boucassin communal section just north of Port-au-Prince, was shattered by a brutal massacre. According to municipal authorities and local officials cited by AP and Radio Caraïbes, at least 42 people lost their lives as gunmen from the Viv Ansanm gang stormed the community, opening fire on families and setting homes ablaze. Among the dead were children, the elderly, and even entire families—one, heartbreakingly, including a mother, father, child, and grandmother.
"The men stormed in, broke down the doors of houses, and opened fire on young boys and girls, the elderly and even babies," recounted Baptiste Joseph Louis, Boucassin’s administrative councilor, on Radio Caraïbes. He added, "One family of four—the mother, father, child, and grandmother—was killed." The aftermath was gruesome: some victims' bodies were left uncollected, already being eaten by stray dogs, and families fled in panic, many now seeking shelter in the nearby town of Arcahaïe. Several people remain missing, and officials warn the death toll could still rise.
The violence in Labodrie did not erupt in a vacuum. The massacre followed several days of gun battles between police and gang members. The Viv Ansanm alliance, a powerful coalition recently designated a foreign terrorist organization by the United States, had attempted to seize control of Arcahaïe after consolidating power in neighboring Cabaret on September 6. According to Joseph Louis Baptiste, the killings were apparently triggered by the death of a local gang leader in Cabaret—known only as Vladimir. His demise set off a chain reaction, as gangs accused Labodrie’s residents of collaborating with authorities.
The attack on Labodrie is part of a broader pattern of escalating gang violence that has gripped Haiti in recent years. Once largely confined to Port-au-Prince, gang activity has spread to previously peaceful communities beyond the capital. The Taliban gang, another faction within the Viv Ansanm coalition, attempted a similar assault on Arcahaïe in October 2024, killing at least three people and setting homes on fire. Specialized police units managed to repel that attack, but gangs have only tightened their grip on the region since then.
Arcahaïe’s mayor, Wilner René, described the siege-like conditions his community now faces. "We, the residents of Arcahaïe, are not in conflict with anyone. They are the ones trying to invade us," René said. The economic impact has been severe, with gangs blocking roads and causing agricultural products to rot. "We cannot run from them, because we have nowhere to go," he added.
Between January and June 2025, at least 3,141 people were killed in gang violence nationwide, and more than 1.3 million Haitians have been displaced—a staggering increase of nearly 25% since late 2024, according to the United Nations. The hardest-hit regions include the West, Centre, and Artibonite departments, where gangs now control major towns such as Mirebalais, Saut-d’Eau, and La Chapelle. The UN warns that the scale of displacement and violence is overwhelming Haiti’s already fragile infrastructure.
The Haitian National Police, already understaffed and underfunded, have struggled to contain the violence. Despite support from a UN-backed mission led by Kenyan police, the situation on the ground remains dire. Lionel Lazarre, a deputy spokesman for Haiti’s National Police, did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but local officials have repeatedly called for reinforcements and armored vehicles to halt the gangs’ advance.
In the wake of the Labodrie massacre, calls for international intervention have grown louder. The United States, alongside regional allies from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organization of American States (OAS), is pressing the UN Security Council to approve a new 5,500-member Gang Suppression Force (GSF). This force, if authorized, would replace the current Kenya-led Multinational Security Support mission, which has been hampered by funding shortages, understaffing, and a lack of equipment. The GSF would have the power to detain and arrest suspected gang members and would be supported by a UN logistics office in Port-au-Prince to coordinate funds and operations.
Laurent Saint-Cyr, President of Haiti’s Presidential Transition Council, emphasized the government’s unwavering commitment to restoring order. "Every meeting, every consultation, every decision has a single goal: to restore security, build a stable environment, and organize free, inclusive, and credible elections," he stated on Friday. Yet, with just five months remaining in the council’s mandate and gangs tightening their grip, many Haitians remain wary of promises that have so far yielded little tangible change.
Adding another layer to the international response, the Haitian government has contracted Vectus Global, a security firm led by former U.S. Navy SEAL Erik Prince, to deploy nearly 200 personnel from various countries to Haiti. This one-year deal is part of a broader effort to quell gang violence, though its effectiveness remains to be seen.
The violence is not confined to Labodrie and Arcahaïe. On September 10, gunmen stormed the Port-au-Prince neighborhood of Turgeau, killing three brothers—Widechel, Patrick, and Josué Lalane—and setting their bodies on fire. The Lalane family, like so many others, had chosen to stay together despite the risks. "We live as a community. We didn’t want to leave for fear of being separated, since we wouldn’t find a place that could accommodate all of us," their surviving brother Stanley Lalane told Le Nouvelliste. "My brothers died out of love. Ironically, they were killed together by a group that claims we must live together."
Meanwhile, displaced residents in Port-au-Prince have received mixed signals. Viv Ansanm leader Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier, a fugitive wanted by the FBI, recently called on people to return home, claiming his fighters were withdrawing from several neighborhoods. But those who returned found devastation—homes looted or burned, infrastructure destroyed, and many still without shelter.
As the violence continues, the urgency for effective intervention grows. "This tragedy highlights the urgent need for effective state intervention to end impunity and restore security in the region," Joseph Louis Baptiste told AP and Radio Caraïbes. Residents, local officials, and international observers agree: without decisive action, Haiti risks further descent into chaos, with ordinary families bearing the brunt of an unrelenting wave of violence.
The grim events in Labodrie and beyond serve as a stark reminder of the stakes. With thousands dead, over a million displaced, and entire communities under siege, the world is watching—and waiting—to see if Haiti’s pleas for help will finally be answered.
