Residents from both sides of the political divide on Mountain View Avenue, St Andrew are pointing the finger at each other as the cause of a recent flare-up of violence in that area.

The accusations come in the wake of two shooting incidents in the area where two women were shot and injured Tuesday afternoon.

But yesterday during a peace walk organised by the Peace Management Initiative (PMI), most of the residents complained that they were fed up with the increase in violence in their community and called for security personnel in the community to be beefed up.

“We tired of the gunshots, me hear it this week and next me nuh hear it, then me hear it the other week,” an elderly resident of Saunders Avenue told the Observer. “. Me nuh like what going on.”

Another elderly resident said she had seen the most flare-ups in her community this year since the 1980s.

“I have been here for many years I have never seen anything like this since the ’80s,” she said. “We afraid to come out at nights because you have to be looking back.”

Yesterday, as the PMI team walked through communities such as Jarrett Lane, Saunders Avenue, and 63 Mountain View Avenue, a handful of residents stood at their gates while others peeped through windows. Some male residents left hurriedly while others covered their faces with handkerchiefs or T-shirts.

But the gravity of the situation was far more real for Desreen Anderson who, along with another female relative and two seven-year-old children, narrowly escaped death when a bullet flew through her window curtain and lodged in her bedroom wall.

“When we hear the gunshot them we run go inna the room and lock the door and by the time we close the door the bullet come straight through the window,” she said. “From that the children just keep crying and my daughter don’t want to stay in the room.”

PMI has offered to provide counselling for the children.

Another resident charged that Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) flags that had been affixed to some utility poles along Mountain View Avenue were to be blamed for the flare-up. He said that men from 63 Mountain View Avenue were responsible for the shootings.

“From Gordon-Webley keep her meeting two months ago the flag them went up and never come down. And then Bruce Golding have a next meeting over Back Bush and more flag go pon the ting and them draw them borderline and a that a definitely a cause the problem.”

He added: “A true the flag them; if we can get the flag them fi come down a little tension wi ease off.”

Later, when the PMI team went to the JLP enclave of 63 Mountain View Avenue, the blame shifted. A resident who said she was heading home when she heard the guns barking at about 2:30 pm Tuesday, declared that the shots came from the PNP strongholds in the area.

“I hear a whole heap of gunshots,” she said. “From the Sunday Portia have the meeting (in Half-Way-Tree) a that time deh it start,” she said. “We can’t tek it. All the big man weh own the shop ova deh them fire shot inna the man house and this shop deh yah from me born and when them a fire shot a right up yah so them a aim it.”

The residents complained that the shop, whose front section showed bullet holes, was forced to close during the flare-up.

Near the end of the peace walk, PMI head and Political Ombudsman Herro Blair said he was satisfied with the response from the residents. He also noted that the PMI would also be meeting with the leaders in the area.

Additionally, Bishop Blair said the PMI opted not to invite political representatives on the walk so that the residents could voice their concerns freely.

“We have done this ever so often. As soon as there is tension, we try to come and calm the waters,” he said. “We can’t do anything of great substance more than allowing our presence to be felt and counsel those who are to be counselled.”