Ex-Haitian Officer Victim In Crime Wave

A lieutenant in Haiti’s disbanded army became the latest victim of the Haitian capital’s spiraling crime wave Wednesday when gunmen killed him around the corner from U.N. military headquarters.

On Tuesday, two off-duty police officers were wounded in separate shootings.

Crime has been on the rise since a U.S.-led multinational force disarmed and dismantled the Haitian army and police to pave the way for President Jean-Bertrand Aristide’s return from exile Oct. 15.

Twenty-five people were killed last week, including 10 suspected thieves who were beaten to death by irate mobs. In February, an average of five killings occurred each week.