Shrapnel from artillery rounds fired by the U.S. Marine Corps throughout a celebration in entrance of Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of Battle Pete Hegseth detonated prematurely and struck a patrol automotive, the California Freeway Patrol mentioned.
The artillery rounds had been fired over Interstate 5 close to Camp Pendleton in San Diego County as a part of a army demonstration for the Marine Corps’ 250th anniversary.
The stay hearth demonstration additionally coincided with “No Kings” protests towards President Donald Trump and his administration that had been occurring round Southern California and throughout the nation.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance speaks at the USA Marine Corps 250th birthday celebration at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton on October 18, 2025 in Oceanside, California. The U.S. Marines are marking their 250th anniversary with a stay amphibious assault demonstration entitled “Sea To Shore–A Evaluate of Amphibious Energy” and visits from Vice President JD Vance and Battle Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Mario Tama/Getty Pictures
A 17-mile stretch of the busy freeway that connects Los Angeles to San Diego was shut down through the occasion by the California Freeway Patrol. The stretch of freeway is usually utilized by over 80,000 individuals every single day, in response to the company.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s workplace mentioned it was notified by the federal authorities Saturday morning that the army deliberate to shoot stay artillery over the closely traveled freeway, prompting freeway patrol officers to quickly shut the freeway.
Final week, the army mentioned that mortar rounds wouldn’t be fired over the freeway and mentioned no freeways or roads can be impacted by the occasion. Army officers mentioned all actions can be strictly confined to coaching fields at Camp Pendleton and wouldn’t affect public areas.
However on Saturday morning, the federal authorities requested that the state change digital freeway indicators to learn “LIVE WEAPONS OVER FREEWAY,” in response to the California Freeway Patrol.
U.S. Navy Touchdown Craft Air Cushion’s (LCAC) unload tools onto the seaside as U.S. Marine Corps V-22 Ospreys and CH-53 Tremendous Stallions fly overhead through the America’s Marines 250 occasion at Camp Pendleton’s Purple Seashore on October 18, 2025 in Oceanside, California. The U.S. Marines are marking their 250th anniversary with a stay amphibious assault demonstration entitled “Sea To Shore–A Evaluate of Amphibious Energy” and visits from Vice President JD Vance and Battle Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Mario Tama/Getty Pictures
Freeway indicators throughout Southern California warned drivers that stay hearth was within the neighborhood of the freeway round Camp Pendleton.
ABC Information has reached out to the Marine Corps, Camp Pendleton and the Trump administration for a remark.
For hours on Saturday, drivers in Southern California had been caught in gridlock on the freeway or needed to take prolonged detours.
Throughout that point, shrapnel allegedly rained down on the freeway within the closure zone, in response to CHP.
Shrapnel from artillery rounds fired by the U.S. Marine Corps throughout a celebration in entrance of Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of Battle Pete Hegseth detonated prematurely and struck a patrol automotive, the California Freeway Patrol mentioned.
California Freeway Patrol
In a police report obtained by ABC Information, CHP says a patrol SUV was struck with shrapnel. That SUV had “an approximate two-inch by half-inch piece of shrapnel on the hood of the patrol car,” in response to the report.
The company says within the report that the shrapnel made a dent within the hood.
Moreover, patrol officers acknowledged an officer working the freeway closure heard “what seemed like ‘pebbles’ falling on his CHP BMW motorbike.”
Shrapnel from artillery rounds fired by the U.S. Marine Corps throughout a celebration in entrance of Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of Battle Pete Hegseth detonated prematurely and struck a patrol automotive, the California Freeway Patrol mentioned.
California Freeway Patrol
CHP says it instantly alerted the Marine Corps {that a} mortar spherical didn’t clear Interstate 5 and that shrapnel was falling across the freeway. At that time, the Marine Corps, in response to the CHP, instantly cancelled firing extra stay ordinance over the freeway.
A security sweep was performed on the freeway to search for extra shrapnel, however none was discovered.
Camp Pendleton officers advised Fox Information Digital that an investigation has been initiated to find out the incident’s root trigger. “The demonstration went via a rigorous security analysis, and deliberate layers of redundancy, to make sure the protection of fellow residents,” the assertion to Fox reads partially.
In response to the obvious untimely detonation and the firing of ordnances over the freeway, Newsom wrote on X on Sunday, “We love our Marines and owe a debt of gratitude to Camp Pendleton, however subsequent time, the Vice President and the White Home shouldn’t be so reckless with individuals’s lives for his or her vainness initiatives.”
The California Freeway Patrol mentioned it’s requesting an after-action evaluation with the federal authorities to debate public security.
