Gang Warfare Engulfs Central Haitian Town in Fire and Bloodshed
Violence broke out early Sunday in Petite-Rivière de l’Artibonite. Regional officials confirmed to Filmogaz.com that a powerful gang clashed with a vigilante group.
Assault in Jean-Denis neighborhood
Witness videos showed bodies strewn across Jean-Denis streets. The Gran Grif gang is reported to have set homes on fire and driven residents from their houses.
Authorities have not released a confirmed death toll. Civilians in the area were left traumatized by the violence and chaos.
Wider pattern of violence
The attack is part of five years of escalating unrest since President Jovenel Moïse’s 2021 assassination. Around 2023, vigilante groups formed to confront gangs.
Those groups have used brutal methods. Reports describe neighborhood closures, stoning, limb amputations, beheadings and burning of suspected attackers.
Gran Grif’s reputation and international reaction
The Gran Grif gang has been active across the Artibonite region. The U.N. says it causes about 80% of civilian deaths in that area.
The group was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration last year. U.N. reports accuse the gang of massacres, rape including of a minor, forced displacements and dismemberment.
Security posture and consequences
Security forces were seen on guard in Port-au-Prince on March 3, 2026. International efforts have sought to stabilize Haiti amid the violence.
This episode of gang warfare consumed a central Haitian town. Houses burned and scenes of fire and bloodshed underlined the country’s deep crisis.
