A live artillery shell exploded prematurely during a Marine live-fire demonstration that was launched over a Southern California highway to celebrate the military branch’s 250th anniversary, raining shrapnel on a California Highway Patrol vehicle and a motorcycle that was part of JD Vance’s team, according to a police report.
The New York Times reported that fragments falling from the 155mm shell landed on vehicles parked on a ramp of Interstate 5 — a major artery through Southern California — that Gov. Gavin Newsom had ordered closed after learning that military officials had no plans to close the highway.
Vance, a Republican and former enlisted Marine who served in Iraq, visited the base in north San Diego County with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Marine Corps and watch troops put on a show of amphibious vehicles and Marines demonstrating assault on the beach.
One officer described hearing what sounded like rocks hitting his motorcycle and the area around him, according to the patrol report. Others saw a 2-inch piece of shrapnel hit the hood of a patrol vehicle and leave a small dent. The report states that shrapnel was also found on the road near the motorcycle.
The CHP closed a 17-mile stretch of highway for periods before and during Saturday’s exercise, in a surprise announcement early Saturday morning. The last-minute closure caused significant traffic delays Saturday morning and early afternoon.
The exercise was canceled after the shell exploded prematurely, the CHP said, and the area was swept for shell fragments, but none were found. A spokesperson for the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton told The New York Times that the corps was aware of the CHP report and that an investigation was underway.
Newsom strongly opposed what he called an “absurd” and “totally unjustified” show of force.
“The president is putting his ego ahead of his responsibilities with this disregard for public safety,” the Democratic governor said in a statement. “Firing live ammunition on a busy highway is not only wrong: it is dangerous. Using our military to intimidate people you disagree with is not force: it is reckless, disrespectful and inconsistent with the position he holds.”
U.S. Navy officials said there was nothing dangerous about the exercise at Camp Pendleton, where artillery fire is common, and that there was no need to disrupt traffic on I5, which is the main highway along the Pacific coast between San Diego and Los Angeles.
“This was an unusual and concerning situation,” California Highway Patrol Division Chief Tony Coronado said Saturday of the incident. “It is very rare for a live fire or explosives training activity to occur on an active highway. As a Marine myself, I have tremendous respect for our military partners, but my primary responsibility is to ensure the safety of the people of California and the officers who protect them.”
State transportation officials ultimately made the decision to close the highway after practice shooting Friday evening and a request from event organizers for signage along the highway reading “aerial fire in progress.”
“This is all due to the military event ordered by the White House, which for the safety of the public we have to close the highway because they are sending live orders to the highway,” said Matt Rocco, a spokesman for the California Department of Transportation.
The closure of I5 caused significant traffic volumes for those commuting between San Diego and Los Angeles. The highway carries 80,000 travelers and $94 million in freight through the corridor daily, according to the governor’s office. Passenger rail services parallel to I5 were also canceled for the afternoon.
Rep. Darrell Issa, who represents a district east of the base, called it a “malicious publicity stunt” by Newsom.
In a statement to the New York Times on Saturday, a Vance spokesperson, William Martin, said Newsom had misled the public about the security risk.
“If Gavin Newsom wants to oppose training exercises that ensure our armed forces are the deadliest and deadliest fighting force in the world, then he can move forward,” Martin said.
Newsom posted on social media on Sunday: “We love our Marines and owe a debt of gratitude to Camp Pendleton, but next time the Vice President and the White House should not be so reckless with people’s lives for their vanity projects.” »
