A former math teacher who rose to become a powerful gang leader in Haiti was killed in a neighborhood that he controlled for years on Monday (Nov 13), reports the Associated Press.

Iskar Andrice, who also has been identified as Iscar Andris, ruled the Belekou community within the Cite Soleil slum where he died.

Former mayor Esaïe Beauchard expressed her sadness about Andrice’s death and the path of violence that he chose.

“It’s regrettable that this guy had to be involved in gang activity because he’s a very intelligent man,” Beauchard said.

Because of his death, officials are extremely concerned that the widespread gang violence that has seized the country could escalate to an even higher level.

Andrice’s was reportedly involved in brutal acts of “murder, robbery, extortion, rape, and the hijacking of goods and trucks” per a recent U.N. report. He would later join his organization with another infamous gang leader Jimmy Chérizier also known as Barbecue, to form the “G9 Family and Allies” alliance which is regarded as Haiti’s most powerful and largest gang.

Additionally, the gang was accused of targeting civilians with several deadly raids on numerous Haitian neighborhoods and last year, held the capital city of Port-au-Prince

The U.N. also noted that Andrice came to power after establishing a social foundation in 2015 known as the Siloé Foundation “to win over the community he controlled and present a positive image of himself.”

In response, Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry was forced to make his first request for foreign armed forces to bring calm to the chaos.

The death of Andrice is the latest of a plethora of issues that have plagued the Caribbean nation in recent years. In October, ex-Haitian Senator Joseph Joel John pleaded guilty to charges related to the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse.

Because of the dire situation in Haiti, approximately 5.2 million Haitians are in desperate need of humanitarian aid in an ongoing cholera epidemic with  gangs occupying almost 60 percent of Port-au-Prince, ?ruling the streets through violence and sexual attacks on residents.”