'Sometimes you feel like you are in a war zone': Target shooters' stray bullets frighten residents

At about noon on Sept. 10, Nicole Adams heard gunshots.

She walked outside her home west of Lake Worth Beach to check on her horses. She then felt a sharp pain in her lower back. She had been shot.

Luckily for her, the .45-caliber bullet had lost most of its velocity by the time she was hit. According to deputies at the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, she sustained “a superficial graze.” She was treated and released from Bethesda West Hospital.

Adams and her family live in a relatively crime-free rural area near State Road 7 west of Lake Worth Beach, but she and her neighbors say they often fear for their safety because of stray bullets from those who use part of their properties for target practice.

“Sometimes, you feel like you are in a war zone,” Adams said. “That is how bad it can be."

Maiberto Orduna Hernandez, a farmworker picking tomatoes at Bedner’s Farm west of Boynton Beach, was not as lucky on Jan. 28. A stray bullet struck him in the head. He was rushed to Delray Medical Center for treatment.

Orduna Hernandez survived, but it took multiple stitches to close a head wound. According to a sheriff's report, the wound penetrated his skull. Like Adams, the migrant workers told deputies that a nearby property is often used for target practice, and stray bullets often fill the air.

And on Sept.  2 of this year, Kristyn McDuffie suddenly heard a “whizzing sound” as she was taking pictures outside her home west of Lake Worth Beach. She noticed a hole in her jeans and saw blood. According to a sheriff's office report, the shots came from a nearby shooting range. McDuffie was treated and released from a nearby hospital.

More: MCSO: Woman shot when group had target practice on neighboring property near Indiantown

Is it legal to discharge a weapon on your property in Palm Beach County?

Unfortunately for many residents in rural Palm Beach County, not much can be done to prevent incidents like these.

“Believe it or not, it is legal to shoot your firearms in The Acreage, Loxahatchee, Jupiter Farms or anywhere the zoning density is less than one home per 1.25 acres,” said Teri Barbera, a spokeswoman for the sheriff's office. Most residential lot sizes in rural areas are well over 1.25 acres.

If it is done any place else, the shooter can be charged with a misdemeanor.

Deputies, responding to the recent incidents west of Lake Worth Beach, have asked owners to ensure that those discharging weapons are firing into a berm to keep the bullets within their properties. But there is little they can do if the shooters ignore the request.

There have been other stray-bullet incidents throughout the state.

In January 2022, a Martin County mother of three was shot in the shoulder. She was rushed to a hospital where surgeons operated on her. Again, deputies said their hands were tied by the current state law.

In March 2019, charges were filed against two men who had been target shooting in Indian River County. Deputies said they were intoxicated. Their bullets interrupted a birthday party, and they were charged with use of a firearm while under the influence of alcohol and with criminal mischief. No one was injured. Had they not been intoxicated, they probably would not have been charged.

Palm Beach County Assistant State Attorney Greg Kridos said they could prosecute under the existing law but would have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the person discharging the firearm during target practice foresaw the risk. He noted that no such case has ever been brought.

At least five 911 calls related to target practice at Country Joe's Nursery west of Lake Worth Beach

Some of the incidents west of Lake Worth Beach have involved Country Joe's Nursery, on the 6100 block of State Road 7 near Lantana Road. The sheriff's office determined that the stray bullet that struck Adams came from there.

Adams' property is adjacent to the nursery. Deputies have received at least five 911 calls from residents in the Heritage Farms area complaining about the target practice shooting at Country Joe's since the first of the year. Multiple efforts to obtain comment from the nursery owner were unsuccessful.

Sheila Lowe, who also lives near the 80-acre nursery, has been calling for the law to be changed for more than 10 years. She is a gun owner herself and supports the right to bear arms.

"This has nothing to do with gun rights. It has to do with property rights and the ability to live in my home without fear of getting shot," she said.

Lowe said target shooters at Country Joe's often use semiautomatic weapons. The shooters have even fired cannons, she noted. Deputies discovered an arsenal of weapons at the business's shooting range.

"Our windows rattle, and our animals are terrified. We cannot even go out and enjoy our own property when they are shooting. I knew that eventually someone would get shot. This law is not safe. Plain and simple,” said Lowe, noting she goes to a range to practice shooting. "I do not know why others cannot do that as well."

A state representative has filed a bill to change the law

The Adams shooting has caught the attention of state Rep. Katherine Waldron, D-Wellington. She has filed a bill to change the law.

“All I am doing is saying that if you want to target-practice on your property, you have to ensure that the bullets will stay on your property,” Waldron said. “It is difficult to imagine anyone being against this law. We are not taking away anyone’s gun rights. We are just saying, 'Keep the bullets on your property.' ”

Waldron said she already has the support of Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and expects to obtain the backing of other sheriffs as well, noting: “Right now, there is nothing they (the sheriff's office) can do. This should be a big help to them when they respond to these incidents."

Even if Palm Beach County commissioners wanted to create an ordinance to restrict shooting on private property, they could be individually fined for adopting gun restrictions that are tougher than state laws. In January, Palm Beach County lost a legal challenge that imposed penalties on local officials for passing such laws.

Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government and transportation. You can reach him at mdiamond@pbpost.com. Help support local journalism. Subscribe today

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County residents scared by target practice stray bullets