Shrapnel hits cars on California highway during Marine Day holiday

Shrapnel from artillery that was detonated during celebrations for the US Marine Corps struck at least two vehicles on a California highway on Saturday, officials said.

The event, marking the 250th birthday of the Marines, was attended by Vice President JD Vance and included live ammunition firing. The California Highway Patrol said one “detonated prematurely overhead” and struck two vehicles that were part of Vance’s protective detail.

It came as state officials and the White House battled over the decision to close part of Interstate 5 for the event in Southern California.

“Firing live rounds over a busy highway isn’t just wrong — it’s dangerous,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat.

The Highway Patrol said there were no reports of injuries and they notified the Marine Corps, which then called off the firing of other munitions.

“This was an unusual and alarming situation,” Border Patrol Chief Tony Coronado said in a statement, adding that such exercises are not common on an active highway.

Newsom he said closed a section of Interstate 5 “due to extreme risk to life safety and driver distraction, including sudden unexpected and loud explosions.”

But before they knew of the accident, officials in the vice president’s office disputed that the demonstration was dangerous and accused the California governor of trying to stoke fears.

The BBC has contacted the White House and the Vice President’s office about the shrapnel incident.

“If Gavin Newsom wants to oppose the training that ensures our armed forces are the deadliest and deadliest fighting force in the world, then he can go ahead,” William Martin, Vance’s communications director, told CNN before reports of the incident broke.

“It wouldn’t be a surprise that he would stoop so low given his dismal record of failure as governor.”

Newsom responded to the military mishap by saying that “Donald Trump and JD Vance are putting their lives on the line to put on a show.” He added that if they want to honor the troops, they have to work for it reopens the federal governmentwhich ran out of funding in early October.

The 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton said in a statement that it is aware of the incident involving a 55mm round fired during the event and that an investigation is ongoing.

“The demonstration went through a rigorous safety assessment and deliberate layers of redundancy to ensure the safety of fellow citizens,” the statement said.

“Following established safety protocols, the shooting was stopped. No injuries were reported and the demonstration ended on schedule.”

In a police report, California Highway Patrol officials said the two damaged vehicles that were used as part of Vance’s team were then sent to secure the highway and keep it closed during the event.

Officers wrote in a report that they saw the artillery shell fail to clear the highway and explode near the southbound lanes.

One of the officers said it sounded like pebbles were falling on his patrol bike. Several pieces of shrapnel were found, including one that tore through the hood of a patrol car.

The demonstration was the largest in a decade on the U.S. mainland, the Marines said, and included fighter jets, Navy ships, helicopters and live fire from a towed howitzer.

During his remarks to hundreds of Marines, Vance recalled his time on the force, railed against the government shutdown and criticized previous military diversity initiatives.

“I wouldn’t be here today, I wouldn’t be vice president of the United States, I wouldn’t be the person I am today if it wasn’t for those four years that I served in the Marine Corps,” he said.

Vance spent four years in the Marine Corps and served a tour in Iraq in 2005.

But his remarks largely focused on politics, and in part he attacked the “woke” aspects of the army.

“This is our common goal, this is our common mission, and the fact is, every single person here bleeds Marine Corps green,” he said.

One of the focuses of the Trump administration is the elimination of diversity initiatives, especially within the Pentagon.

Vance also used stage time to rail against the nearly three-week government shutdown and to blame Democrats, particularly Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

“I bring greetings today from our commander-in-chief, Donald J. Trump, and he wanted me to tell each and every one of you that he’s proud of you, that he loves you, and that despite Schumer’s suspension, he’s going to do everything he can to make sure you get paid exactly what you deserve,” he said.

While thousands of federal workers work without pay, the Department of Defense pays the troops.