The leader of the Haitian gang that kidnapped 17 Christian missionaries said in a video Thursday the gang will kill the Americans if their demands are not met.
“I swear that if I don’t get what I want, I prefer to kill the Americans. I’ll put a bullet in each of their heads,” Wilson Joseph, the reported head of the 400 Mawozo gang, said in a video that appeared to be a funeral for other gang members, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The group kidnapped 16 Americans and one Canadian after they left an orphanage and were on the way to an airport Saturday.
Earlier in the week, the group said it would cost $1 million per person for the safe release of the missionaries.
Joseph threatened Haiti National Police Chief Leon Charles in the video saying he is responsible for the deaths of the other gang members, according to the Journal
“Five soldiers fell but they won’t destroy an army. I’m going to pour blood,” Joseph said.
The Journal said it could not verify the authenticity of the video. The Hill has reached out to the State Department for comment.
Christian Aid Ministries, the group the kidnapped missionaries worked for, called for prayers on Thursday for the hostages, kidnappers and governments involved in the situation.
“Today, Christian Aid Ministries associates in the United States, Canada, and other countries are observing a special day of prayer and fasting,” the group said.
The missionaries that are kidnapped are from Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Oregon and Ontario, Canada.