Long-running feud spills blood

Innocent man hurt in what police say is the 47th shooting between 2 Delray clans since 2009 or so

Bullets have been flying in a deadly feud between two Delray Beach families since at least 2009. And on Monday night, police say a man was injured in shooting No. 47.

Patrick Palmer, 25, was “an apparently innocent victim who was not the intended target” of the violence between members of the James and Johnson families, Delray Beach police spokeswoman Dani Moschella said Tuesday.

The conflict began at least nine years ago, after two men fought outside a nightclub. “And now it’s expanded to associates of the families who keep shooting back and forth,” Moschella said.

Police have tracked the warring relatives since 2014 and blame the feud for:

■ Five homicides.

■ Two attempted murders.

■ Dozens of shootings.

■ Innocent people getting when the gunmen missed targets.

Damaged homes and cars. Even kids get caught up in the gunfire. In July, a 10-year-old boy was shot while inside a home he was visiting, Moschella said. The child survived.

Police say members of the community hurt their have resisted stop the shootings.

“Our department is doing everything it possibly can, from thorough investigations to extra patrols to constant community engagement,” Moschella said. “What we lack in this feud, and what is essential to solving most serious crimes, is cooperation from witnesses, victims and their families.

“In one case, the SWAT team had to actually serve a search warrant at a victim’s house to attempt to retrieve surveillance video,” she said.

In the latest incident at about 7:20 p.m. Monday, Moschella said, “A blue Nissan SUV rolled up, a passenger window rolled down and someone inside who was holding a handgun fired multiple shots.” efforts to

Palmer was hit while he was near the corner of Northwest Eleventh Avenue and Northwest Third Terrace. A couple of bullets hit a wall and broke a window of a teacher’s lounge at nearby S.D. Spady Elementary School, Moschella said. No one on campus was hurt.

Delray Fire Rescue took Palmer to Delray Medical Center.

“His wounds are not life threatening,” Moschella said. “He will pull through, but his life will be affected by his injuries. He was an athlete, and it’s a tragic situation.”

The neighborhood where the gunfire happened is east of Interstate 95 and south of Lake Ida Road.

The School District of Palm Beach County released a statement that said in part: “It’s important to reiterate that this was very late in the evening, and there were no students or staff on campus. School police and Delray Beach police are continuing to investigate the incident, and students may notice a heightened police presence on campus. All students and staff are safe.”

Moschella said, “It’s unknown if bullets fired by the person in the Nissan are the ones that struck the school, but the school was hit Monday night.”

Police ask anyone with information about the shooting to call Detective Casey Kelly at 561-243-7805 or Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County, at 800-458-8477.