MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Gunmen kidnap a Haitian pastor and three others during a ceremony that aired live on Facebook, media reported on Friday, with images widely shared on social media in a country plagued by high violence.
In the video, two members of the choir can be seen singing a hymn before they suddenly drop the microphones and attach themselves to the side of the altar. As the piano music continues to be played, a man with a rifle enters the screen and is seen carrying it away.
The incident, streamed on Facebook and YouTube on Thursday evening, took place at Diquini’s Adventist Gospel Kreyol ministerial church on the outskirts of the capital Port-au-Prince, according to the Miami Herald.
Gregory M. Figaro, whose father, Greger Figaro, is the founder of the ministry, told the Miami Herald that eight to ten gunmen arrived in two vehicles and kidnapped the pastor and three others, including a pianist.
“If this can happen, anything is possible in the country because there is no respect for any institution, be it a church or a school,” Figaro said, according to the Miami Herald.
Haiti has been shaken by the escalation of violence in recent years, especially by runaway kidnapping incidents that have paralyzed the Haitian economy and society.
Written by Drazen Jorgic; Edited by William Mallard