A press release from the California Freeway Patrol issued Sunday afternoon known as the latest firing of howitzers over Interstate 5 “unusual,” however the standing working procedures that govern all artillery fireplace on Camp Pendleton make no formal provision for firing over one of many busiest roadways within the state.
RELATED: Shrapnel hits CHP automotive throughout I-5 closure for Marines’ firing of stay shells
Hundreds of Southern California motorists planning to journey between San Diego and Orange or Los Angeles counties Saturday afternoon needed to change or cancel plans when the state abruptly closed a piece of I-5 Saturday afternoon, citing deliberate stay fireplace over the freeway related to the Marine Corps 250th Amphibious Capabilities Demonstration, an enormous train that had 1000’s of troops storming Camp Pendleton’s Purple Seashore from ships offshore.
CalTrans indicators over Interstate 5 warn motorists concerning the closure of the freeway on Saturday over a deliberate live-fire demonstration at Camp Pendleton that might be witnessed by Vice President JD Vance and Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Howitzer cannon fireplace, stated to happen on close by White Seashore, was a part of the train, lobbing artillery rounds over the freeway and onto an impression zone deep contained in the practically 200-square-mile base.
It got here out in the future later {that a} spherical exploded prematurely, raining shrapnel down on some components of the closed freeway. Whereas nobody was harm, items of metallic had been documented putting a CHP patrol cruiser, stated to be a part of Vice President JD Vance’s element. One officer, in response to a CHP investigation report, reported listening to what appeared like “pebbles falling” on and close to his CHP bike.
The incident has spawned countless conversations on-line about whether or not or not firing over the freeway was an applicable motive for the state to shut the freeway or whether or not it was applicable to fireplace over the street within the first place.
A protracted dialogue on X, previously known as Twitter, options many who’ve echoed an announcement from Pendleton brass Sunday, noting that these cannons are designed to securely fireplace overhead at altitudes that hold them from coming wherever close to pleasant troops between firing websites and targets.
Pendleton’s communications workplace didn’t reply Tuesday when requested for a listing of different coaching workouts which have shot artillery rounds over the freeway.
The California Freeway Patrol launched a photograph of a patrol automotive dented by metallic shrapnel close to Interstate 5 when an artillery spherical from Camp Pendleton prematurely detonated throughout a live-fire train Saturday. (Picture courtesy California Freeway Patrol)
On Sunday, CHP Border Division Chief Tony Coronado known as firing over the freeway “an unusual and concerning situation,” that’s “highly uncommon.”
“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,” Coronado stated.
However, whereas these phrases made it appear as if the Corps does typically fireplace over the freeway, the state might discover no earlier notifications of such exercise at any time prior to now.
Vice President JD Vance joined with Marines from Camp Pendleton on the seashore to look at a seashore assault and have a good time the Marine Corps’ 250th birthday on Saturday. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Firing from Pendleton’s miles of coaching seashores is just not listed among the many authorized websites within the algorithm that strictly govern all varieties of stay fireplace on base.
Pendleton’s Vary and Coaching Space Standing Working Procedures, revised in 2022 and posted on Pendleton’s public web site, record the exact coordinates for 53 pre-approved artillery firing areas related to the bottom, together with a number of that look like at sea. None are west of I-5.
The 115-page doc particulars deal with all types of coaching that contain stay ammunition, from rifles and grenades to missiles and mortars, cautioning readers that “the greatest danger to life and limb is associated with live-fire.”
The CHP on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, launched this map exhibiting the place a patrol car was hit by shrapnel on Saturday, Oct. 18, after ordnance it stated was fired by the Marines over the 5 Freeway at Camp Pendleton prematurely detonated. (Picture courtesy California Freeway Patrol)
Common directions are significantly stark, making it crystal clear that dealing with weapons on a busy base with 1000’s of personnel is critical enterprise.
“Failure to comply with these regulations may result in death or injury to personnel, or damage to equipment,” the guide states.
That isn’t to say that officers can’t shoot from places that aren’t listed within the base’s capturing bible. The doc contains the flexibility to request a waiver from Pendleton’s Vary Operations Division — name signal LONGRIFLE — however such requests are to be made “no less than 30 days prior to the planned event.”
Mishaps, just like the one which occurred throughout Saturday’s demonstration, should be reported to LONGRIFLE, with contributors required to “freeze all weapons or munitions in place” when ordnance is concerned. By all accounts, that’s what occurred at Pendleton. When the spherical reportedly exploded over the freeway, all firing ceased, and base personnel launched a root trigger investigation aimed toward figuring out what went fallacious.
