Yes, there were “live weapons over the freeway” on I-5 near San Diego Saturday for a JD Vance and Pete Hegseth party, but the show had to be called off early, as the artillery blew off prematurely and pelted CHP vehicles with shrapnel.

There was another Gavin Newsom vs the Trump administration fight in the headlines last week, over what seemed a minor matter at the time. In this case, the US Marines were set to celebrate their 250th anniversary on Saturday at San Diego’s Camp Pendleton, with Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on hand, and they decided that they would fire explosive artillery rounds over I-5 as part of the celebration.

A stunned Gavin Newsom, who was not clued in to this, said in a statement that “We love our Marines and owe debt of gratitude to Camp Pendleton, but next time, VP & White House shouldn’t be so reckless with people’s lives for their vanity project.”  

So Newsom ordered the closure of the section of I-5 that would have artillery flying overhead. Incensed Republicans fired back at him. SoCal congressmember Darrell Issa tweeted, “Gavin Newsom - who never served a day in the military - is overruling the best-trained and most-experienced leaders of our Marine Corps and shutting down the main interstate highway in the San Diego region for no other reason than a spiteful publicity stunt and to ruin the occasion.”

Turns out Newsom’s I-5 closure may have saved lives. The Chronicle reports that the artillery had a mishap and detonated too early, pelting California Highway Patrol vehicles with shrapnel. And in an extra dose of irony, the New York Times reports that the California Highway Patrol (CHP) vehicles hit by the shrapnel “were part of Vice President JD Vance’s protective detail.”  

As the Times reports, “A 155-millimeter shell” fired over the highway for the celebratory display “prematurely detonated.” That happened at about 1:46 pm Saturday, and the Times says the artillery display “was terminated after the round prematurely exploded.” The shrapnel hit a CHP cruiser and a motorcycle, with additional shrapnel being found on the road.

“This was an unusual and concerning situation,” CHP Border Division Chief Tony Coronado sid in a public statement. “It is highly uncommon for any live-fire or explosive training activity to occur over an active freeway. 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.”

No one was injured by the falling shrapnel, but of course, there was also no response from JD Vance’s office to press inquiries on the incident, likely as their pride has been wounded. Vance’s office instead directed all questions to Camp Pendleton’s First Marine Expeditionary Force, who said in  a statement that “We are committed to determining the incident’s root cause and applying findings to future missions.”

Related: JD Vance’s Excuse For His ‘I Hate the Police’ Remark Falls Apart Once Reporters Look Into It [SFist]

Image: SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 18: People watch the traffic as signs alert drivers about the closure of the 5 Freeway on October 18, 2025 in San Clemente, California. A 17-mile stretch of the 5 Freeway was temporarily closed on Saturday due to a live-ammunition demonstration at Camp Pendleton, held in celebration of the U.S. Marine Corps' 250th anniversary. (Photo by Apu Gomes/Getty Images)