Shooters failed to kill Haitian President Ariel Henry

Shooters failed to kill Haitian President Ariel Henry during an event on Saturday. 

Shooters failed to kill Haitian President Ariel Henry during an event on Saturday that celebrated the Caribbean nation’s independence, his office confirmed in an official statement.

Henry’s office reported it was reported on Monday “bandits and terrorists” had tried to assassinate the premier at an unmarked church in the city of Gonaives, where the commemoration of the anniversary of independence’s 218th birthday was scheduled to take place.

The footage broadcast on social media shows Henry and his entourage scurrying towards their cars as an unarmed group began shooting at the cathedral outside of Gonaives.

Haitian media speculated about an alleged involvement of gangs in the shooting incident, which they claimed injured one person and killed two others.

The grip of gangs on parts of Haiti has grown more vital following the assassination of Haitian president Jovenel Moise last July.

Police, who described Saturday’s attack as an act by “armed groups,” was in no position to verify the number of casualties. Before the attack, the local gang leader threatened Henry on local television.

The office of the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that arrest warrants had been issued to the suspects who fired at Henry’s convoy.

The attack has raised new fears about the security of Haitian officials following the assassination of Moise.

Henry, whose government faces increasing challenges to his legitimacy and legitimacy, was elected premier just two months after Moise’s murder by suspected mercenaries. 

The country is yet to determine a date for appointing Moise’s successor.