Report details grisly assassination of Haiti president Jovenel Moïse: Shot 12 times, eye torn out as son was handcuffed, daughter in hiding



A new report details the grisly fatal injuries late Haiti President Jovenel Moïse sustained during the Wednesday assassination.

What's a brief history here?

Following the killing, a total of four suspects were fatally shot by Haitian security personnel, and two other suspects were found and taken into custody.

Haiti's interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph immediately declared a national "state of siege" and announced he is in charge of the impoverished nation as he called for an international investigation into the president's slaying.

What are the details?

The Latin Times on Thursday reported that Moïse was shot a total of 12 times — including through his forehead, nipples, hip, and abdomen — and that his left eye was torn out.

Moïse's body was discovered riddled with bullets from a high-caliber firearm after the Wednesday attack in which his wife was also shot multiple times.

Moïse's son was reportedly handcuffed along with a maid during the incident, and his daughter fled and hid in the family's home. According to the report, the two were unharmed as assailants stormed the residence declaring a "DEA operation." The suspects, according to reports, spoke Spanish and English and are believed to be foreigners.

In a statement, Carl Henry Destin — deputy justice of the peace in Pétion-Ville — said that investigators discovered the grisly scene inside the president's home.

"The president's office and bedroom were ransacked," Destin said. "We found him lying on his back, blue pants, a white shirt stained with blood, his mouth open, his left eye gouged out."

Destin added that the president's wife, Martine, suffered gunshot wounds to the legs, arm, torso, and hand. She was flown to Miami for emergency surgery and is reportedly in stable condition at the time of this reporting.

Haitian U.S. Ambassador Bocchit Edmond said that the siege on the president's home was a "well-orchestrated commando attack" and that it was clear that the attackers had "internal help."

Edmond added, "The most important thing is we need to continue with the investigations and look and identify those who financed them, those who paid them to commit this horrible act."

"We do hope that the national police will continue to hunt them down because possibly there were more than six [suspects]," Edmond saidsaid. "We are trying to see how we can make sure that those are caught and identified and be brought to justice."

Authorities have yet to announce the suspects' identifies or a possible motive behind the killing, France24 reported.

President Joe Biden condemned the assassination as "horrific" and vowed to assist the country in any possible way.

Moïse's violent death is the latest incident of in a string of horrific, ongoing attacks in Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, reportedly perpetuated by at least 95 armed gangs carrying out acts of arson, assault, murder, shootings, and more.

In February, mass protests erupted across the country with demonstrators calling into question the legitimacy of Moïse's presidency. The nation missed its 2018 election, as Moïse said the country was too unstable to hold free and fair elections at the time, and he continued serving as president.

Later in February, Moïse said that security foiled an attempt on his life.

"I thank my head of security at the palace," he said at the time. "The goal of these people was to make an attempt on my life. ... That plan was aborted."

Haitian President Jovenel Moïse assassinated in his home late Tuesday night; wife shot during 'inhuman and barbaric' attack



Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, 53, was assassinated in his home late Tuesday night, according to various reports, and his wife suffered bullet wounds during the attack.

She remains hospitalized at the time of this reporting.

His murder takes place against a backdrop of horrific, ongoing violence in Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, perpetuated by at least 95 armed gangs carrying out acts of arson, assault, murder, and shootings.

What are the details?

A statement from interim Prime Minster Claude Joseph revealed that an unidentified group stormed Moïse's home and killed him.

Joseph condemned the attack, saying it was an "odious, inhuman, and barbaric act."

According to reports, some of the attackers were described as Spanish-speaking.

"A group of individuals who have not been identified, some of whom were speaking Spanish, attacked the private residence of the President of the Republic and fatally injured the Head of State," Joseph said in a statement. "All measures have been taken to ensure the continuity of the State and to protect the Nation. Democracy and the Republic will win out."

In February, large protests took place in the country questioning the legitimacy of Moïse's presidency. The nation missed its 2018 election, as Moïse said the country was too unstable to hold free and fair elections, and he continued serving as president.

That same month, Moïse said that his security detail foiled an assassination attempt against him.

"I thank my head of security at the palace," he said at the time. "The goal of these people was to make an attempt on my life. ... That plan was aborted."

This is a breaking story and will be updated as events warrant.