PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) – The Federal Aviation Administration has banned U.S. airlines from flying to Haiti for 30 days after gangs shot three planes and the United Nations also temporarily suspended flights to Port-au-Prince on Tuesday, limiting humanitarian aid flowing into the country.

On Monday, bullets hit a Spirit Airlines plane that was about to land within the capital, injuring a flight attendant and forcing the airport to close. Photos and videos obtained by The Associated Press show bullet holes scattered throughout the plane’s interior.

On Tuesday, JetBlue and American Airlines announced that post-flight inspections showed their planes were also shot down on Monday while departing Port-au-Prince. The American suspended flights to the capital until February 12.

The shootings were a part of a wave of violence that erupted because the country tormented by gang violence swore in a brand new prime minister after a politically turbulent process.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the agency documented 20 armed clashes and more roadblocks affecting humanitarian operations during Monday’s violence. Port-au-Prince airport will remain closed until November 18, and Dujarric said the United Nations will redirect flights to the country’s second airport, within the northern, quieter city of Cap Haïtien.

Difficult access to the epicenter of violence, Port-au-Prince, is probably going to be devastating as gangs choke life within the capital pushed Haiti to the brink of famine. Dujarric warned that cutting off flights would mean “reducing the flow of humanitarian aid and humanitarian personnel into the country.”

A convoy of 20 trucks full of food and medical supplies has already been rescheduled south, and an operation to provide money assistance to 1,000 people within the Carrefour area, where violence broke out, had to be called off.

“We are doing everything we can to ensure business continuity in this difficult environment,” he said. “We call for an end to the escalation of violence to allow safe, sustainable and unimpeded humanitarian access.”

Life in much of Haiti’s capital got here to a standstill on Tuesday after a wave of violence. Heavily armed police in armored cars checked passing public transport trucks outside the airport.

Schools were closed, as were banks and government offices. The streets, where just the day before there had been a fierce shootout with gangs and police, were eerily empty, with few people passing by apart from motorcycles with a shot man hanging on behind.

In the afternoon, the sounds of heavy gunfire continued to echo through the streets – a reminder that despite political maneuvering by Haiti’s elites and a robust push from the international community to restore peace, the country’s toxic gang group retained a robust grip on many of the Caribbean nation.

The United Nations estimates that gangs control 85% of the capital Port-au-Prince. UN supported mission run by Kenyan police to quell gang violence, scuffling with an absence of funding and staff that prompted the calls for the UN peacekeeping mission.

President Luis Abinader within the Dominican Republic, which borders Haiti, was the primary leader on the island to condemn the violence, labeling the shooting an “act of terrorism.”

On Tuesday, the transitional council established in April to restore democratic order in Haiti also condemned the violence.

“This cowardly crime, which threatens Haiti’s sovereignty and security, goals to isolate our country on the international stage. The perpetrators of those heinous acts shall be tracked down and brought to justice,” the council said in a press release.

The council has faced fierce criticism from many in Haiti who say its political struggles and corruption charges against three members has created political instability, allowing gangs to violently seize power, as happened on Monday.

This happened on the weekend when the primary shot was fired interim Prime Minister Garry Conille – he argued with the Council for a very long time. They replaced him with businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, who was inaugurated on Monday surrounded by suit-wearing officials and diplomats as gangs terrorized the encompassing capital.

Neither Fils-Aimé nor Conille commented on the wave of violence.

Conille initially called the council’s move illegal, but on Tuesday he confirmed Fils-Aimé’s appointment in a post on the X social media platform.

“(I) wish him success in fulfilling this mission. At this crucial moment, unity and solidarity are essential for our country. Long live Haiti!” he wrote. Fils-Aimé promised to work with international partners to restore peace and hold long-awaited elections, a promise also made by his predecessor.

But many Haitians, like 43-year-old Martha Jean-Pierre, don’t have any taste for political fighting, which experts say only gives gangs more freedom to further expand their control.

Jean-Pierre was amongst those that braved the streets of Port-au-Prince on Tuesday to sell bananas, carrots, cabbage and potatoes, which she carried in a basket on her head. She said she had no alternative – selling was the one way she could feed her children.

“What good is a new prime minister if there is no security, if I cannot move freely and sell my goods?” she said, nodding at her basket of vegetables. “This is my bank account. My family depends on it.”

The frustration alarmed international actors comparable to the UN and the US, who called for a peaceful resolution to the situation in Haiti.

On Tuesday, the US State Department regretted that Conille and the Council had been “unable to make progress in a constructive manner” and called on Fils-Aimé and the Council to present a transparent plan of motion with a shared vision to reduce violence and pave the way in which for an electoral path that is meant to “prevent further deadlock.”

“The urgent and immediate needs of the Haitian people compel the interim government to prioritize governance over the competing personal interests of political actors,” the statement said.

BALTIMORE (AP) – As gun violence continues to say no in Baltimore after years of rampant bloodshed, the historically turbulent neighborhood in the city’s southwest corner is celebrating a long-awaited victory: zero homicides in greater than a year.

These numbers have particular significance for the Brooklyn community where: mass shooting in July 2023, it tore through the annual summer party, leaving two people dead and 28 others injured in the courtyard of an aging public housing estate. Majority victims they were teenagers and young adults.

In the wake of the tragedy, the city’s flagship anti-violence program Safe Streets has stepped up its efforts in the area, and officials say the efforts are paying off. On Tuesday afternoon, residents and city officials gathered near the site of the mass shooting to have fun a year of progress.

“This just isn’t just an achievement for Safe Streets. It’s a testament to Brooklyn’s resilience and community strength,” said Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott. “This is a community that has been sold out, neglected and ignored for a protracted, very long time. But together, together, we are saying enough is enough.

Citywide, homicides are down about 24% in comparison with this time last year. That’s roughly it 20% decline in 2023when Baltimore recorded fewer than 300 homicides for the first time in nearly a decade, ending a surge that began in 2015 after the death of Freddie Gray and widespread civil unrest.

Violent crimes too decreased nationwide after a surge during the pandemic.

The Baltimore Safe Streets program includes 10 offices situated in the city’s most dangerous neighborhoods. It was released in 2007 and has developed in recent years under Scott, who has ceaselessly pledged to treat violence as a public health crisis and address its root causes.

Safe Streets focuses on de-escalating conflicts by employing mediators with credibility and street knowledge. This is an inherently dangerous job because they develop close relationships with people who find themselves most liable to becoming perpetrators or victims of gun violence. Officials say reaching young people is vital.

Adanus Sprillium, 22, said he recently enrolled in a residential job readiness program that was really useful by Safe Streets staff in Brooklyn. He had his first GED class last week. Sprillium said he previously struggled with drug addiction and homelessness.

“I would probably end up dead or in jail,” he said.

A community survey conducted in the weeks after the mass shooting in Brooklyn found that city officials consider many borough residents place more trust in Safe Streets than Baltimore police, local schools, nonprofits and other institutions. Only neighborhood churches ranked higher.

Still, the presence of Safe Streets staff at the block party was not enough to forestall it from ultimately degenerating into chaos and bloodshed.

Baltimore police faced heavy criticism for their response to the incident. The report pointed to potential bias amongst officers after finding police he ignored many warning signs and didn’t take proactive motion in the hours before the shooting broke out. Critics questioned whether police would have responded in another way if the shooting had occurred in a wealthier neighborhood.

The department announced disciplinary charges against a dozen officers earlier this year.

Five teenagers arrested in reference to the shooting. Four of them have already pleaded guilty to varied charges.

Sean Wees, director of Safe Streets’ Brooklyn chapter, said a lot of the staff have deep roots in the community. In response to the shooting, the team has made every effort to advertise safety and ensure residents have access to services. However, Wees said there continues to be much work to be done.

“We are working to promote peace and progress here in Brooklyn,” he said during Tuesday’s meeting. “We cannot stop until these kinds of ceremonies are no longer needed – until peace becomes the standard, not a streak measured in days or months.”

Jada Arnell Thomas, the singer and actress who made headlines after she was shot and injured at an autograph signing in Dallas, has finally broken her silence.

In Instagram post on Wednesday, the 26-year-old wrote: “God’s grace, mercy and overwhelming love will NEVER cease to amaze me. Thank you to everyone who called, texted and came to visit me. I love you all very much! This road to recovery will be extremely difficult, but my faith in the Lord has NEVER been stronger!”

Thomas was on stage at The Black Academy of Arts and Letters on Saturday, November 2, when the incident occurred, following a matinee performance of her production of “The Bitches,” wherein she stars alongside two other actresses.

According to an arrest affidavit obtained by a neighborhood outlet WFAAThomas was signing autographs on the academy where she was once a student when 26-year-old suspect Micah Williams approached her and shot her within the chest.

Thomas was taken to a close-by hospital, and Williams was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon and brought to the Dallas County Jail on $200,000 bail.

Officers found a 26-year-old gunshot victim after arriving on the scene around 5:50 p.m. Saturday. People Magazine reported.

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An arrest affidavit says Williams was arrested within the hotel lobby after a witness allegedly spotted her. The statement said a witness described Williams as “really robotic and turned off” and that the suspect allegedly confessed to shooting Thomas.

I’m talking to Newsweekacademy founder and director Curtis King called the shooting scene “chaotic.”

“The whole room just started praying. It was like a big song,” he said.

In an announcement published on the academy’s website on Sunday Facebook pageKing said that “effective immediately” the ability will implement latest security measures, including reducing the variety of entry points to prevent weapons from entering the ability.

“For 48 years, TBAAL has proudly maintained a tradition of safe, family-friendly events and a welcoming environment,” King wrote, adding: “We ensure that our patrons are upstanding citizens who share our commitment to creating a safe, positive environment for all.” As we proceed to grow, our mission to enrich communities through the humanities stays unwavering.”

Police said in an announcement that that they had found a gun and an investigation was ongoing. It is unclear whether Thomas and Williams were related, and a possible motive remains to be unknown.

According to online prison records Williams is being held within the Dallas County Jail on $200,000 bail, People reported. It’s unclear whether she filed a motion or hired a lawyer to act on her behalf.