The president of Haiti, Jovenel Moise, was shot and killed in his private residence, the interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph announced Wednesday.
The president's residence has also put out a statement Wednesday saying the attack occurred around 1 a.m. and that the First Lady Martine Moise was also wounded in the attack and is currently hospitalized.
The assassination was carried out by a commando group with "foreign elements," AFP news agency reported, citing interim Prime Minister Joseph.
Joseph called the assassination a "hateful, inhumane and barbaric act," according to AP. He added, "All measures are being taken to guarantee the continuity of the state and to protect the nation."
In Port-au-Prince Wednesday, gunshots could be heard around the capital. Recently there has been an uptick in violence as gangs and police vie for control of the streets.