Port-au-Prince, Haiti—A surge of violence at a central downtown market left three people dead today. The clash erupted when two rival groups began trading gunfire over control of the trading zone. Shoppers and vendors scrambled for cover as bullets tore through the stalls. The fighting lasted nearly twenty minutes before the groups retreated.

The market, usually a hub of daily survival for the city's poorest, has now been abandoned. The three victims were caught in the crossfire as they attempted to purchase basic goods. Their bodies were left near the entrance until local volunteers could move them after the shooting subsided.

"I didn't even know who was shooting, just that we had to run," one vendor said while packing up their remaining inventory. The market has been a frequent site of tension as armed factions attempt to levy illegal taxes on the traders. Today, that tension finally exploded into open warfare.

Police forces were not on the scene. Downtown areas have become essentially autonomous zones where the groups hold more power than the state. Merchants are now asking if it is even possible to keep the market open, given the constant threat of lethal violence.

The three deaths are just the latest in a long string of casualties within the capital. The ease with which these groups operate in the heart of the city demonstrates their overwhelming strength. There is no official talk of a security crackdown or a plan to reclaim the commercial zones.

Many of those who frequent the market say they have no alternative options for food. The choices are to stay and risk death or to face starvation in their homes. For now, the market remains silent and empty.

Rumors of further retribution are already spreading throughout the neighborhood. The violence today has created a climate of dread that will keep the downtown district largely shuttered for the remainder of the week.