CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — California Democrats sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday regarding shrapnel that struck California Highway Patrol (CHP) vehicles during Vice President JD Vance’s visit to Camp Pendleton.

The metal shrapnel came from explosive ordnance over the Interstate 5 during the U.S. Marine Corps’ 250th anniversary celebration on Saturday, which featured Vance and Hegseth.

Senator Alex Padilla, Senator Adam Schiff, Representatives Mike Levin, Scott Peters, Juan Vargas, Sara Jacobs and 23 other members of Congress requested answers regarding the incident in their joint letter.

“While we are relieved no one was injured, we are deeply concerned by the decision-making that led to this incident,” the Representatives wrote.

Prior to the event, White House leadership suggested the demonstrations would be safe and not affect nearby areas. Despite these claims, Governor Gavin Newsom had the I-5 shutdown over safety concerns.

“[Newsom] closed the highway — not only did nobody at the White House or the Marines ask him to do so, the Marines repeatedly said there are no public safety concerns with today’s exercises,” the White House Rapid Response Team stated on social media.

Some local representatives also claimed Newsom closed the I-5 for political reasons.

“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,” Representative Darrell Issa posted on social media.

Newsom’s press office responded to Issa’s post, asking him to issue an apology for accusing Newsom of overreacting.

“Now we learn … live ordinance detonated early, striking a vehicle on a closed portion of the highway during the event,” the Governor’s Press Office posted. “Without a doubt, an apology is owed — to not just Californians, but all Americans.”

In their letter, leaders directed 13 questions to Hegseth, requesting him to answer them by Oct. 29. Some of the questions include:

How did the USMC and relevant components prepare for this event? When did the USMC and relevant components begin preparing for this event?

Who directed the USMC to conduct the artillery demonstration over Interstate 5? Who made the final decision that the live fire demonstration was considered to be safe? When was this decision made?

If the freeway had not been closed to civilian traffic at the time of the incident, how does the USMC evaluate that civilian vehicles would have been impacted by it?

Which agency is going to cover the costs associated with the damage to the two impacted vehicles?

The full letter can be read on Levin’s website.

“Maintaining public safety has been a central pillar of that relationship, which is built on trust and confidence,” the letter states. “Our Marines deserve to be celebrated without compromising these ideals. We look forward to your response.”

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.