YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, Mavis Smith lay huddled in a corner beside her bed, wrapped in a sheet and cowering in fear. Although the gunmen who invaded her home had long gone, the frail 75-year-old, still in her nightclothes, refused to budge from her place of safety.
Ms. Smith, who has cancer, was not the only resident of the August Town community of African Gardens still shaken by the latest shooting incident which took place Sunday evening about 7:30.
This time, the victims were four teenagers who were reportedly sitting on the roadside when the gunmen pounced on them and opened fire. Wounded were Oshane Morris, 14; Romaine Messam, 13; Floyd Alexander Marks, 15; and Messiah Rickman, 14.
Rickman's injury was the most severe; he was shot in the right side, the bullet entering his abdomen. He underwent emergency surgery yesterday.
Messam was shot in the right leg while Morris was struck on the right forearm. Marks was grazed on his right leg.
PEACE MARCH
The August Town police have made no arrests, but have dispatched several patrol units to the area. Sunday evening's attack took place minutes after several congregations from churches in August Town staged a peace march through the area, calling for an end to violence that is responsible for the deaths of six persons this year.
The violence, most say, is being carried out by men from Jungle 12, a nearby community. According to the unidentified man, politics and a takeover are motivation for the attacks.
"Dem a PNP (People's National Party supporters) so dem waan get out the people dem from down ya so, 'cause dem waan the people dem house," he said. "But everybody down ya so live in peace ... PNP and JLP (Jamaica Labour Party supporters)."
Mavis Smith's niece says she is emotionally drained by the violence.
"Me tired a it, tired a the shooting ... wi stressed 'cause wi nuh have nowhere else fi go," said the 39-year-old woman, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Is more than wi can bear."
A lot of tears have been shed in August Town since August last year when Betty Atherson, a 36-year-old higgler, was shot and killed in Bedward Pastures. Three weeks later, on September 6, gunmen, reportedly from Jungle 12, destroyed four homes in the Judgement Yard settlement where dancehall star Sizzla resides.
CONTROVERSIAL KILLING
Two weeks later, community activist Sandra Sewell and Gion Halcott were killed by security forces in a controversial incident that is still before the courts.
Nine persons were murdered in August Town last year.
After a lull, the gangs resumed their criminal activity in February, killing three persons. Jerome Markland, 19, and Marlene Brown were shot in a drive-by shooting on February 23. Markland died just hours after he was shot while Brown, a 37-year-old domestic helper, died at the University Hospital of the West Indies two days later. Bryan was shot and killed on February 25.
Mavis Smith, 75, lies on a makeshift bed on the floor for safety at her daughter's home in African Gardens in August Town,
St. Andrew. Gunmen struck in the area Sunday night, leaving several youths nursing gunshot wounds.
