Shrapnel hits cars on a California highway during a Marine Corps ceremony

Artillery fragments that exploded during Marine Corps celebrations hit at least two cars on a California highway on Saturday, officials said.

The event, which celebrated the Marine Corps’ 250th birthday, was attended by Vice President J.D. Vance and included the firing of live ammunition. One “exploded prematurely overhead” and struck two vehicles that were part of Vance’s protection detail, the California Highway Patrol said.

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

“Firing live ammunition on a busy highway is not only wrong, it is dangerous,” Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said.

The Highway Patrol said no injuries were reported and notified the Marine Corps, who then called off any further munitions.

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

Newsom said Part of Interstate 5 closed “Due to severe risks to life safety and distraction to drivers, including sudden, unexpected and loud explosions.”

But before they learned of the unfortunate incident, officials in the Vice President’s office questioned the seriousness of the demonstration, and accused the California governor of trying to raise fears.

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

“If Gavin Newsom wants to oppose training exercises that ensure our armed forces are the deadliest and most lethal fighting force in the world, he can move forward immediately,” William Martin, Vance’s director of communications, told CNN, before reports of the incident emerged.

“It would not be surprising if he stooped to this low given his pathetic record of failure as governor.”

Newsom responded to the military incident by saying that “Donald Trump and J.D. Vance are putting lives at risk to put on a show.” He added that if they want to honor the forces, they must work on that Reopening the federal governmentIts funding ran out at the beginning of October.

1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton said in a statement that it is aware of the incident involving a 155 mm shell fired during the event, and that an investigation is ongoing.

“The demonstration underwent a rigorous safety assessment and deliberate layers of repetition to ensure the safety of citizens,” the statement read.

“In accordance with established safety protocols, shooting was suspended. There were no casualties and the demonstration ended as scheduled.”

In a police report, California Highway Patrol officers said the two damaged vehicles, which had been used as part of Vance’s detail, were then sent to guard 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 officer said it sounded like gravel was raining down on his motorcycle. Several fragments were found, including fragments that hit the hood of a patrol car.

The Marine Corps said the demonstration was the largest in a decade in the continental United States, and involved fighter jets, Navy ships, helicopters and live fire from a howitzer.

During his remarks before hundreds of Marines, Vance reflected on his time on the force, criticized the government shutdown and criticized previous military diversity initiatives.

“I would not be here today, I would not be Vice President of the United States, and I would not be the man I am today if it were not for those four years that I served in the Marine Corps,” he said.

Vance spent four years in the Marine Corps and toured in Iraq in 2005.

But his statements focused largely on politics, in part attacking the “woke” aspects of the military.

“That’s our common goal, that’s our common mission, and it’s the fact that every single person here bleeds Marine Corps green,” he said.

One of the Trump administration’s concerns has been to eliminate diversity initiatives, Especially inside the Pentagon.

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

“I bring today’s greetings from our Commander in Chief, Donald Trump, and he wanted me to tell each and every one of you that he is proud of you, that he loves you, and that despite the Schumer shutdown, he will do everything he can to make sure you get exactly the pay you deserve,” he said.

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