Metal shrapnel from an artillery live fire at the Marine Corps’ 250th anniversary celebration at Camp Pendleton on Oct. 18 damaged a California Highway Patrol (CHP) car near a major highway, the patrol said on Oct. 20.
After the news of the incident broke, the U.S. Marine Corps announced it would launch its own investigation into the accident, which happened along Interstate 5 close to Camp Pendleton in San Diego County.
The mishap, which happened during a Saturday afternoon demonstration of the M777 Howitzer heavy artillery pieces, did not cause any injuries.
When the incident took place, Vice President JD Vance and War Secretary Pete Hegseth were visiting Camp Pendleton to celebrate the Marines’ upcoming 250th birthday on Nov. 10.
The incident occurred in an area where officers were enforcing a traffic stop along the highway near the base after the state government opted to halt traffic during the live-fire demonstration.
No injuries were reported, the CHP said.
CHP Border Division Chief Tony Coronado said: “It is highly uncommon for any live-fire or explosive training activity to occur over an active freeway. As a Marine myself, I have tremendous respect for our military partners, but my foremost responsibility is ensuring the safety of the people of California and the officers who protect them.”
The highway patrol said it immediately notified the Marine Corps, which then canceled all live fire over the freeway while officers swept the area.
The CHP said it filed an internal report on the incident, with a recommendation to conduct an additional “after-action review” into the planning and coordination between federal, state, and local governments around the incident to “strengthen protocols for future demonstrations and training events near public roadways.”
Newsom criticized the accident, calling it the result of a “reckless” and “profoundly absurd show of force.”
“All training events will occur on approved training ranges and comport with established safety protocols. No public highways or transportation routes will be closed,” the Marines said in a statement.
He said state officials near Camp Pendleton also observed live munitions being fired near the freeway in “an apparent practice run.”
When the governor’s office heard that the live artillery activities would occur at 1:30 p.m. local time on Oct. 18, the state government, at the recommendation of CHP traffic safety experts, closed a 17-mile portion of Interstate 5 for periods of time during the exercises.
This decision was met with criticism by Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), who called it a “spiteful publicity stunt,” and Vance himself, whose spokesperson accused Newsom of misleading the public about the safety risk.
Marine officials also said the highway closure was unnecessary and that their live artillery firing exercise was safe and routine.
The Pentagon referred The Epoch Times to the Marines for comment. The Marines and Vance’s office did not respond to requests for comment by publication time.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
