Seven arrested in Citadelle stampede reportedly triggered by tear gas, officials say

MILOT, Haiti — The death of 25 people at Citadelle Laferrière occurred after police officers or town hall security agents allegedly threw tear gas to disperse visitors leading to a crowd surge at the UNESCO site on April 11, Safeguarding National Heritage (ISPAN) former director and residents in Milot told The Haitian Times.

The incident began when town hall security agents went to the Citadelle to retrieve money collected from visitors’ entry fees, according to Jean-Hérold Pérard, the site’s engineer and former ISPAN director. Visitors pay 250 gourdes, about $2, to enter. With roughly 3,000 visitors present that day, the site reportedly generated about $6,000.

Pérard said agents closed one of the Citadelle’s two entrances to safely collect the money. As rain began to fall, people outside tried to force their way in around 4:00 p.m. Gunshots were fired in the air, and tear gas was used to disperse the crowd. While it remains unclear who deployed the tear gas, many residents blamed Departmental Unit for Maintaining Order (UDMO) police officers.

“People were pushing each other and some died of asphyxiation especially after they threw tear gas,” Pérard said during an April 13 interview with The Haitian Times recounting witnesses’ accounts.

Police have arrested five town hall security agents and two ISPAN employees as part of the investigation into the Citadelle Laferrière tragedy, according to an April 13 note from Haitian National Police (PNH). The town hall security agents were identified as Jhon ‘Misyon’ Coxllee, Genovè Octavien, Altidor Arly, Louis Max Andy and Césaire Wilner Billy. Meanwhile the two ISPAN employees are Wilfrid César and Valmyr Tchelin.

The northern police force and the town hall  have yet to answer The Haitian Times’ messages or return phone calls seeking an interview for this article.

Milot’s mayor on a hot seat

In addition to police and town hall security agents, some residents blamed Milot’s mayor, Wesner Joseph, including Pérard, who criticized the town hall’s handling of entry fees.

“Milot’s town hall has the right to do that [collect Citadelle’s entry fee] but this isn’t normal,” Pérard said.

“They [Milot’s Town Hall] think Citadelle is a place where they can make their money and do nonsense,” he added.

Pérard has worked at the Citadelle since 1980 and served as ISPAN’s director from 1995 to 2006.

The mayor of Saint-Raphaël also criticized Milot’s town hall for authorizing Citadelle Vibe 3.0, a yearly event held at the site. Schools had also organized trips there on April 11.

“They should never have allowed this activity. It’s the city hall that killed my family members,” Saint-Raphaël’s Mayor Gelin Robert Junior told the Unissons Nous news outlet. “It bears primary responsibility for this tragedy… There must be consequences.”

However, Joseph told Altidor Le Capois TV the town hall was unaware of the event and noted there were too few law enforcement officers present to ensure safety. He reported that about 20 police officers and 10 town hall security guards were on site.

“The judge of peace should command the police to start an investigation so we can know what caused this and who was behind it, who were the accomplices,” Joseph said.

Built in 1820 by King Henri Christophe, the Citadelle is one of Haiti’s most cherished historical landmarks. Located atop a hill 900 meters above sea level, it attracts both locals and tourists daily. Schools often organize visits, and April is a peak period due to the site’s anniversary on April 12.

Residents said the crowd on April 11 was unusually large, with visitors arriving as early as 4:00 a.m. Some people were already leaving earlier in the day due to breathing difficulties caused by overcrowding.

Community left devastated

The Citadelle is a major source of income for Milot residents. Many work as guides, motorcycle drivers and horse riders at the site. The tragedy has left the community grieving and shaken.

“I never slept last night because I was thinking so hard about how this happened,” Francisque Almonord said as he stood in Citadelle’s parking lot on April 12. “We don’t receive enough help as an area with a touristic site. We don’t even have a nurse’s office here. Maybe if there were even two nurses here not so many people would have died.”

“They need to rethink stuff,” Almonord, 54 ,added. “This is a tourist site, they’re making money from it. We need better services.”

After the incident, some accidents occurred as vehicles descended the wet and slippery hill. One  gray minivan flipped over.

The following morning, residents carried bodies wrapped in white sheets down the hill. Families mourned as they accompanied their loved ones.

“Why is there blood on him?” one woman said while weeping. “Was my brother hurt?”

Residents now worry the tragedy will discourage tourism, further hurting their livelihoods. Visitor numbers had already declined due to gang violence in Port-au-Prince.

“So many people lost their lives I’ve never seen anything like this,” Joseph Agenord, a former tour guide who lives on the hill that leads to the Citadelle, said. “Good thing I have wood, I’m just going to keep making charcoal to take care of my children.”

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