Haitian security guard killed in NYC shooting remembered as ‘hero’ by union, family
Aland Etienne, a Haitian immigrant and 32BJ SEIU member, was mourned after he was killed in the Midtown Park Avenue mass shooting.
by THE CITY Aug. 01, 2025
THE HAITIAN TIMES
Overview:
Haitian immigrant Aland Etienne, 46, was killed in a Midtown office shooting while working as a security guard. Union leaders and relatives honored him as a devoted father and “hero,” reports THE CITY. He had worked at 345 Park Ave. for six years.
Claudia Irizarry Aponte / THE CITY
The security guard who was slain in the mass shooting in a Midtown office building on Monday was remembered by his brother as a hard-working man, hero, devoted father and aspiring filmmaker who was proud to play his part “in making the city of New York a little safer every day.”
Aland Etienne, 46, is among the four victims of Monday’s deadly attack at 345 Park Avenue, a prominent office tower that houses the headquarters of the National Football League and several large investment firms including Blackstone.
“I am the younger brother of my hero,” said sibling Smith Etienne.
“Aland was a brother, son, a loving father — fantastic father,” he continued. “He was a smart dude and as the oldest brother I looked up to him in everything I do.”
The younger Etienne spoke at the headquarters of the union 32BJ SEIU, of which Aland was a member, honoring both him and slain NYPD Officer Didarul Islam, 36, on Wednesday. He was flanked by Etienne’s widow, Rachelle Paoli; union president Manny Pastreich; and Democratic mayoral candidate Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani.
Their deaths, said Pastreich, underscore the dangers and sacrifices security personnel face on the line of duty. He invoked a similar attack in 2015 that resulted in the death of a 32BJ member, security officer Idrissa Camara, who was fatally shot by a gunman who stormed a federal building on Varick Street, then killed himself.
“Security officers in this city know that they put their life on the line when they put on their uniforms, they’re there to do their jobs as a first line of defense in each of these buildings, and they know that they’re often in harm’s way,” said Pastreich. “These essential workers are often overlooked and unseen until moments like this, that reveal the true value of their work and their contributions.”
A member of 32BJ SEIU’s security division since 2017, Etienne worked at 345 Park Ave. for more than six years under the security firm McLane Security. He was unarmed at the time of the shooting, a union spokesperson said. Representatives for McLane Security did not respond to a request for comment.
Etienne, a Haitian immigrant who lived in Brooklyn, is survived by Paoli and his two children, parents, and five siblings. He loved making home movies in Haiti and had aspirations to become a filmmaker, but he devoted himself to his family instead, and nurtured his love of films in his brother, now a filmmaker based in Florida.
“He poured into me and supported my career in film as an extension of himself,” Smith said. “It’s an example of the kind of person he is.”
“He was more than a brother — he was a father, a son, and a light in our lives,” another brother, Gathmand Etienne, wrote on Facebook. “Our hearts are shattered, and we’re asking for your prayers and strength as we navigate this painful time.”
The others killed were Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner, 44; and 27-year-old Julia Hyman, who worked for real estate firm Rudin Management.
Security camera images released by the NYPD showed Shane Tamura walking into the building shortly after 6 p.m. Monday holding a rifle, which officials later identified as an M4. Tamura shot three people including Islam and Etienne in the lobby before getting on an elevator and going to the 33rd floor where he fired on Hyman before taking his own life, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a press conference Monday night.
Adams said during a televised interview on CBS Mornings on Tuesday that investigators found a note on Tamura that implied he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a brain disease caused by repeated concussions, and appeared to blame the NFL for his injuries.
“He, from our preliminary investigation, he took the wrong elevator bank up to the NFL headquarters,” said Adams.
Islam was also remembered as a “hero” by Shamsul Haque, a retired police officer and founder of the Bangladeshi American Police Association, of which Islam was a member, at the same 32BJ event on Wednesday.
“He is one of us, and losing him feels like losing a brother,” said Haque.
Islam, from The Bronx’s 47th Precinct, was working off-duty as a security guard at the Park Avenue tower at the time of the attack. An immigrant from Bangladesh, he is survived by his wife and their two children; she is pregnant with their third child.
Mamdani, fresh off a trip to his native Uganda to celebrate his recent marriage, said he met with Islam’s family in The Bronx Wednesday morning for about an hour; he said he accepted the family’s invitation to the funeral on Thursday.
He mourned the lives cut short and called for strengthening the nation’s gun laws. Though New York has some of the strictest gun laws in the country, he noted that Tamura bought his weapon in Nevada.
“We are only as safe as the weakest gun laws in this nation,” he said.
Mamdani said he has not talked to Mayor Eric Adams about the shooting, but he did have a conversation with Tisch.
At the event, Mamdani also expressed regret over resurfaced social media posts he made before elected office that critics have said are insensitive to police officers, and that his opponents have seized on throughout his mayoral campaign.
He responded specifically to questions about a 2020 social media post in which he replied “nature is healing” to a user who described seeing a police officer crying in his car.
“The tweet that you referred to is a tweet that is clearly out of step with the way in which I not only view police officers, the immense work that they do, but also the seriousness with which we need to treat that work, and the difficulties that come with that work,” said Mamdani.
“I am not a candidate that is fixed in time. I am one who learns and one that leads. As I’ve grown, part of that means focusing on the people who deserve to be spoken about.”
National Center of Haitian Apostolate
The grand tribute evening in honor of the late Bishop Guy Sansaricq will be held in one week
https://youtu.be/kzXfdzNit10?si=a4p0LcntxD21HeAT
In one week, the grand tribute evening will be held in honor of the late Bishop Guy Sansaricq, the first Haitian-American bishop in the Diaspora. The torch of Bishop Guy Sansaricq, one of the great Haitians of our time, continues to shine brightly among the Haitian community in the Diaspora, even four years after his great departure for the Father's house. He is rightly recognized, even after his death, as the Father of the Haitian community in the Diaspora and the defender of the most disadvantaged in our society.
The evening of August 10 will be another opportunity for us to honor the memory of Bishop Guy Sansaricq, this great builder of faith who always took courageous stands in favor of the Haitian population of Haiti and the Diaspora. Bishop Guy Sansaricq is never afraid to denounce injustices and racism whenever anyone attempts to undermine the pride or dignity of his blood brothers and sisters in a foreign land: this is why he has always relegated his privileges, honor, and authority to the background throughout his priestly and episcopal life.
Knowing the system very well, he has always refused to play the role of scapegoat against his brothers and sisters in the Haitian community. This also explains why he has always urged his brothers and sisters to sit down and work together within our community and in Haitian pastoral ministry. He clearly understood that his role as a priest and bishop was to serve the Church of Jesus Christ and his brothers and sisters in the Haitian community.
Bishop Guy Sansaricq has always demonstrated his intention to work as a team. In his meetings with his fellow priests and lay people, he liked to take into consideration the opinions of others, because he knows that the Holy Spirit can blow wherever he wants, he knows that priests and lay people must work together in a church of communion to advance the kingdom of God on earth. To this end, he always made the necessary effort to hear all the close personnel of his team before making a decision. One of the major projects he launched at the end of his life was to put in writing the accomplishments and achievements of Haitians and Haitian communities in the United States. To this end, he contacted various professional organizations in the United States and several luminaries of the Haitian community to concretize this project in the writing of a book https://youtu.be/UxraB1QJ9-M?si=k6_NNrw0r1XIRSxP . Alas, the Lord had other plans for him, calling him on August 21, 2021 to come and celebrate with him in heaven his 15th anniversary of episcopal life and his 61st year of priestly life.
It is difficult to write this text without thinking of these Haitian-Americans United for Progress HAUP INC, a non-profit organization founded in 1975 by Young Father Guy Sansaricq at the Sacred Heart Parish in Cambria Heights. Father Guy Sansaricq made the decision to found this organization to meet the social needs of Haitians in New York. In the 70s, as indeed until now, our immigrants had considerable immigration problems, Haitian boat people were arriving in large numbers in New York and it was necessary to find a way to accompany these illegal newcomers. This year, HAUP INC celebrates its 50th anniversary of existence and is considered one of the largest and oldest Haitian organizations in the State of New York. We invite you to listen to an excerpt from an interview between Bishop Guy Sansaricq and Ms. Elsie Saint Louis, Executive Director of this service agency and also director of the American Choir of the Parish of the Sacred Heart of Cambria Heights, for the 45th Anniversary of HAUP INC: https://youtu.be/fKq5vkY-2Ic
On the occasion of Bishop Guy Sansaricq's departure, I continue to ask myself many questions about our Haitian community in the United States, left to its own devices and lacking a representative capable of taking courageous stands on its behalf. Are Haitian leaders in the Diaspora different from leaders in Haiti? What are we defending: our interests or the community? One of the great challenges we face is being able to come together and strengthen solidarity among ourselves to serve the common good. Only in this way will we come to recognize that within the Haitian Community and pastoral ministry, there is no room for division. Let us convert ourselves to the model of Jesus the servant, to understand that no one can set themselves up as Savior or dictator. It is Jesus who gave his life to redeem our sins. Therefore, it is Jesus who is the center of our lives.
Major drug bust in Cap-Haïtien exposes growing Caribbean trafficking network
Haitian police seize about 426 kg of cannabis in Petite-Anse just days after two Haitians were arrested in Jamaica for a 3,000-pound cannabis haul—worth over $58,000, local media report
by Onz Chéry Aug. 01, 2025
Overview:
Police seized 425.9 kg of cannabis and arrested three suspects in Petite-Anse—a coastal quarter near downtown Cap-Haïtien—during a raid on July 27. Just nine days earlier, two Haitians were arrested in Jamaica for trafficking over 3,000 pounds of cannabis. A July 13 cocaine seizure on Ile de La Tortue—or Tortuga Island—in the northwest adds to growing evidence that Haiti is a key transit hub in a Caribbean drug network involving notably Jamaicans, Bahamians and Haitians.
CAP-HAÏTIEN — Cap-Haïtien police detained three people and seized 425.9 kilograms of cannabis and 525,245 gourdes, or roughly $4,000 (USD), during a 3:00 a.m. raid on a residence in the northern Petite-Anse coastal community on July 27, marking one of the largest cannabis busts in the area this year.
The suspects—Somane Etienne, 60, Guerda Pierre, 38 and Myrlande Fils-Aimé, 34—were arrested inside the residence, police said. Officers also confiscated three motorcycles, a bicycle, a solar panel, a television and several cellphones.
The operation was carried out jointly by Haiti’s Office for the Fight against Drug Trafficking (BLTS), Departmental Judicial Police Service (SDPJ), the Unité Départementale de Maintien de l’Ordre (UDMO) and the Intervention Brigade (BI). Judge of Peace Court Dieula Benjamin recorded legal observations at the scene.
BLTS, which is still investigating the case, has not yet responded to The Haitian Times’ requests for comments on the drug bust and additional details about police actions, as Haiti increasingly serves as a transit hub for regional trafficking.
“All the organized disorder in the country is a movement that first covers up the major trafficking at the international level. This isn’t just about local drug dealers anymore—it’s a transnational network operating through Haiti’s ports and airspace under gang protection.”
Himmler Rébu, Former colonel of Haiti’s Armed Forces (FAd’H)normal
In a recent interview with The Haitian Times, former colonel of Haiti’s Armed Forces (FAd’H), Himmler Rébu, said that since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021, Haiti has been increasingly turning into a narco-state.
“All the organized disorder in the country is a movement that first covers up the major trafficking at the international level,” said Rébu, leader of the political party Grand Rally for the Evolution of Haiti (GREH).
“This isn’t just about local drug dealers anymore—it’s a transnational network operating through Haiti’s ports and airspace under gang protection.”
Caribbean ties emerge as Haiti is increasingly becoming the hub in the drug corridor
The Cap-Haïtien operation comes just nine days after two Haitians—Shelande Dorelien, 27, and Wisler Laveis, 25—were arrested in Toms River, St. Andrew, Jamaica, with over 3,000 pounds of cannabis worth approximately $58,100 (USD), according to the Caribbean National Weekly. Authorities charged them with trafficking, dealing and conspiracy to export cannabis.
The pair, who reportedly entered Jamaica illegally, are believed to be part of a regional trafficking ring that includes Bahamian and Jamaican operatives. Drug enforcement experts say Port-au-Prince’s unsecured coastline—where about 90 percent of the city is under gang control—has become a key transfer point.
A record-breaking cocaine seizure off Tortue Island also raises the stakes.
On July 13, Haitian police seized 1.05 tons of cocaine off the northern coast of Tortuga Island—Haiti’s largest-ever cocaine bust. A Jamaican man was killed and a Bahamian wounded in the operation, authorities confirmed.
PNH seized record 1.05 tons of cocaine in historic raid
The boat was allegedly headed for the United States via the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Prosecutor Jeir Pierre said law enforcement had monitored the route for years but was hindered by a lack of resources.
The recent uptick in drug trafficking cases suggests Haiti is playing an increasingly central role in Caribbean smuggling routes. The cannabis and cocaine intercepted over the past two weeks point to growing ties between Haitian operatives and regional networks such as Jamaica’s Shower Posse and other transnational crime syndicates.
In February 2023, a Jamaican man, Mitchell Winston Evan, 47, and a Haitian, Kerby Fils-Aimé, 21, were arrested in Fort Saint-Michel, near Cap-Haïtien, with 192.5 kg of cannabis. Both men were charged, but the case remains under review.
Experts warn that increasing youth cannabis use in Haiti, combined with weak border security and widespread corruption, has made the country an ideal hub for trafficking. Human rights groups have also voiced concerns about drug profits being channeled to gangs controlling large swaths of the capital, the Artibonite Department—a bridge to the north—and the Central Plateau near the border with the Dominican Republic to the east.
As youth turn to marijuana, some fear Haiti’s future is going up in smoke
Residents refer to this baz bóz, which literally means the “weed station” in English, as Lakou New York, or New York Yard. Here, a few dealers usually sit on a tire or chair, or sometimes they stand.
While Haiti’s BLTS has yet to comment on the Cap-Haïtien case, the pattern of seizures suggests enforcement agencies will need regional coordination to combat an increasingly transnational drug trade.
Editor’s Note:Daniella Saint-Louis, collaborator of The Haitian Times in Haiti, contributed to this reporting.