Haiti police kill suspected gang leader amid shooting probe

April 30, 2019 GMT

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Authorities in Haiti say they have killed the leader of a gang suspected of fatally shooting five people and injuring seven others last week.

Police director Joany Caneus told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Jean Sony died after exchanging gunfire with police in the capital of Port-au-Prince. Sony was known as “Tije” and is suspected of leading the Savane Pistache gang.

Prime Minister Jean Michel Lapin said police are still pursuing other suspected gang members. He issued a statement praising Haitians for following authorities’ instructions during the operation to capture those responsible for the recent killings in the Carrefour-Feuilles neighborhood.