The attack on the National Penitentiary on February 29 led to the escape of several thousand inmates who had been imprisoned there. Since then, downtown Port-au-Prince, which was already seeing its population dwindle, has not been the same. Residents and merchants began fleeing the area out of fear of being victimized by the escaped prisoners. This fear intensified as gangs increased their activity by attacking several public buildings in the vicinity, including the State University Hospital of Haiti (HUEH) and the faculties of law, medicine, and sciences, among others.

Several neighborhoods were not spared from the violence of armed gangs seeking to conquer more territory and expand their power. Between March and April, the gangs escalated their attacks in Bas Delmas, the stronghold of gang leader Jimmy Chérizier, alias "Barbecue." Numerous businesses and homes were set ablaze by these criminal groups, and incidents of looting were reported. Many lives were lost during these attacks.