New questions are emerging as to why there were no public warnings before US marines were fired over 5 and a major regional railroad as the 250th anniversary of the Camp Pendleton cake inspection.
Friday’s exercise took place during normal road and train operations between evening departures, and without the safety measures taken on Saturday, when officials temporarily closed 5 trains and temporarily suspended them. On that day, the strapners arrived at the California Highway Patrol Cruiser and the motorcycle after an artillery shell exploded early, causing an investigation from the marchers.
Lt. Khol. Lindsay Pirek, a spokeswoman for the Marine Expeditionary Force, told The Times on Monday that Shell was informed about the plans at 5:30 p.m.
However, government sources told the Los Angeles Times that the messages the Marine Corps sent on Friday did not actually indicate that the craft would be reactivated for testing on Friday. They said they are not announcing the request as an indication that live rounds will be fired over the upcoming road in the coming hours.
As a result, thousands of rush hour commuters and commuters were unaware of the accident as multiple M777 shells destroyed 30 shells above the highway.
“We received no notice that weapons would be fired over the highway during practice on Friday,” said a spokesperson for the California State Transportation Agency.
The Times has asked the Marines Corps for comment and has yet to hear back.
Caltrans captured video of rounds being fired from M777 HowiiTzers on Friday. “That’s what was shot down the highway,” the man’s voice could be heard in a Caltrans video shared with reporters.
“We were full,” said a government official familiar with the matter, but not authorized to speak publicly. The shooting was “a complete surprise to everyone involved.”
The shells, weighing about 100 kilograms, were originally scheduled to be fired at 1:45 PM on Friday, Pirek said. But the march delayed the destruction to ensure state officials had time to post warning messages with electric signs on the side of the highway, Pirek said.
Authorities from several California agencies were shocked to learn that live ammunition was fired across I-5 Friday evening, according to a state official.
At least one passenger train would have been in the general area around the time Shells were carried over the train tracks, according to the plan. Attround artrak pacific cacific cacific surfiner train No. 785
Amtrak trains on that stretch of route operate a regular Friday schedule.
One day early – on Oct. 16 – It is reported that military officials have told a large campaign in California that Saturday’s ammunition will not be fired over the highway, according to California transportation officials.
On Friday, the State received a communication from event organizers, asking that the California Department of Tourism use electronic signals to warn 5 motorists that the State Fountain was underway, a State source said.
Organizers have requested that the warning be lifted immediately on Friday and remain up until Saturday afternoon, a government source said.
But there was no official confirmation that the weapons would be fired on Friday, electronic signals above the high-altitude weapons warning about live weapons fire were not illuminated Saturday morning, said a spokesman for the California State Age,.
A noise advisory published by Camp Pendleton on Oct. 16 are details of the “noise producing events” scheduled for Friday. The document says that the Explosive Munitions will be fired on Saturday into the interior – specifically, a large area in the northern part of the Base called the “Whiskey Impact Area” and the “Received Impact Area”. “
Traffic on the Interstate 5 freeway as it works at Camp Pendleton during a temporary closure of the freeway after military officials will block the freeway, Oct. 18, 2025.
(Jonathan Alcorn / The Times)
The governor’s office said last week that they were initially told that federal authorities were considering closing I-5 for Saturday’s event. When no one is scheduled to be laid off on Oct. 15, government officials began to consider doing it.
After that, on the evening of Oct. 15, the Marine Corps sent a statement to X saying that no major public roads or walkways will be closed, while saying they intend to hold a “Live-Fire” on Saturday at Camp Pendleton. State authorities said on Oct. 16, the hiders assured that their exercises will be done in the ranges of their training, as is always done, and not over the highway.
Among those assurances, on the morning of Oct. 16, government officials have issued an opinion on the closure of 5.
However, state officials have reached out separately to request that train service through Camp Pendleton be invited to Saturday’s event.
But the reason for the cancellation of the train service on Saturday may have had a lot to do with the security procedures involving the evil President JD vence. He arrived at the military headquarters on Saturday to give a speech and had a sea view of the M777 Wiiterzers as they fired the first round of shells.
On Oct. 15, it was the secret service of the US that received the district of North County Transit, which owns the train through Camp Pendleton, to request that the tracks be closed on the basis of Saturday. The Secret Service called for the rail shutdown as part of “advance planning,” the agency told The Times this week.
“NCTD accommodated the request and maintained constant coordination between our railroad partners, as well as state officials and the days leading up to this event,” said NcTRD Chief of Staff Mary Doover.
As a result, Pacific Rail Liner’s Service was temporarily suspended at Camp Pendleton on Saturday afternoon. Metrolink has canceled all train service in the area on Saturday.
It wasn’t until late Friday that Caltrans got word from military officials that a live fire show was planned over I-5 on Saturday, according to state transportation officials.
“Firing live rounds over a busy street is wrong – it’s dangerous,” said Gov. Caltrans announced that a 17-mile stretch of I-5 will be closed during the show “due to safety concerns.”
The White House Emergency Response Team on Social Media criticized the highway closure issue. “No one outside the White House or the Marines to him, the Marines have repeatedly said there are no public safety concerns with today’s exercise,” said the post, which went up shortly after 11 a.m.
On Saturday, a California Highway Patrol Cruiser and a motorcycle parked at the I-5 ONRAMP were hit by shrapner after an artillery round exploded prematurely, instead of reaching the point of impact. Although no one was injured, the incident has raised questions about how officials intend to protect drivers and passengers.
The artillery round that exploded over the highway came from the first volley fired from the M777 howitzers at Red Beach. Although one round was ejected amid the slowdown, the remaining four rounds hit their target on the ground, Pirek said. When studying the Midwair explosion, the marches canceled the desired 55 cycles more.
The Marine Corps is investigating the incident. Authorities say they suspect that a common fuse in one of the circuits malfunctioned and caused the explosion.
The M777 Howitzer is an indirect fire weapon, which means it is made from projectiles that explode Lofts in the trajectory arped the trajectory of friendly and enemy forces. Pirek said that, so far, the weapon system used had “a very good rate of inefficiency.”
The Marine Corps said shells from M777 artillery pieces have been fired over I-5 in the past without the need to close the road.
The bodies have yet to answer questions about when, or how often, that happened. But experts, including a retired naval officer who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, have been told in rare cases that it is the high road.
The California State Transportation Agency said in a statement that “we are not aware of any previous fire demonstrations involving firearms over state highways.”
“Safety is our top priority – this was an unprecedented event and could pose a threat to the traveling public,” the agency said in a statement.
REP. Mike Levin, a Democrat representing Northern San Diego County and Southern Orange County, and Sen. Alex Padilla and Alex Parchilla, sent a letter to defense attorney Pete Hegseth.
The letter was signed by more than two members of Congress.
“While we released no one injured, we are deeply concerned that the decisions that led to this incident were made,” the letter said. “Who made the final decision that the live fire image was considered safe? When was this decision made?”
