A live-fire mishap that caused metal shrapnel to damage a patrol vehicle while Vice President Vance was visiting a California military base is facing intense scrutiny from officials who question how the unusual incident was allowed to happen.

The premature detonation of 155 millimeter artillery as Camp Pendleton celebrated 250 years of the U.S. Marine Corps — part of a live simulation of a beach assault by sea and air — caused shrapnel to fall over the Interstate 5 freeway and dented a California Highway Patrol (CHP) car parked on an on-ramp. The incident has since been labeled by the CHP Border Division as an “unusual and concerning situation.”

The accident has raised questions as to whether the U.S. military correctly coordinated with state and local officials ahead of the ceremony and whether it was wise to fire live munitions over a freeway during an event that had an estimated 15,000 attendees.

Here’s what to know:

The incident

The shrapnel that fell onto the patrol car on Saturday came from Marines firing high explosive rounds from M777 Howitzers over Interstate 5 — which runs between the beach and the rest of Camp Pendleton — into designated ranges.

The Marines were conducting a live-fire demonstration as part of an event held ahead of a celebration for the Marines’ 250th birthday on Nov. 10, with Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth

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