Artillery Shell Detonates During Marines’ Celebration, Hits CHP Vehicle

An “explosive ordnance” detonated prematurely and hit a law enforcement vehicle near Camp Pendleton in California Saturday.

The incident happened during the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps event where Vice President JD Vance was in attendance, per Fox News.

While the California Highway Patrol (CHP) confirmed the incident occurred, it is not clear when exactly it happened.

The shrapnel from a 155mm artillery round fell onto vehicles parked on a ramp to Interstate 5 that Gov. 👤Gavin Newsom ordered a 17-mile stretch be closed because of plan to fire over the freeway, the New York Timesreported.

Military officials had said it was safe for it to remain open.

The CHP said the incident happened “during an exceptional U.S. Marine Corps live-fire training demonstration over the freeway, and where the CHP had elected to stop traffic during the live-fire exercise,” per Fox News.

No injuries were reported.

After the incident, the Marine Corps “canceled firing additional live ordnance over the freeway,” per CHP..

CHP Border Division Chief Tony Coronado said the incident was an “unusual and concerning situation.”

“It is highly uncommon for any live-fire or explosive training activity to occur over an active freeway,” Coronado said in a statement.

“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,” he added.

“The CHP has filed an internal report on the incident, with a recommendation to conduct an additional after-action review into the planning, communication and coordination between federal, state, and local government around the event on Saturday, October 18, to strengthen protocols for future demonstrations and training events near public roadways,” the release read.

Camp Pendleton officials also issued a statement regarding the incident.

“We are aware of the report of a possible airborne detonation of a 155mm artillery round outside the designated impact area during the U.S. Marine Corps Amphibious Capabilities Demonstration at Camp Pendleton, CA, Oct. 18,” the I Marine Expeditionary Force Communication Strategy and Operations team said. “The demonstration went through a rigorous safety evaluation, and deliberate layers of redundancy, to ensure the safety of fellow citizens. Following established safety protocols, firing was suspended. No injuries occurred, and the demonstration concluded as scheduled.”

“An investigation has been initiated. We are committed to determining the incident’s root cause and applying findings to future missions,” the statement continued.

Newsom posted about the incident several times on X, writing in one post that President Donald Trump and Vance “put lives at risk to put on a show.”

“If you want to honor our troops, open the government and pay them,” Newsom said.