A late-night U.S. military urban warfare drill at a vacant hospital campus in a quiet California neighborhood has left residents shaken and angry over a lack of prior warning.
The training exercise, which took place at the former Saint Luke’s Medical Center in Pasadena, involved simulated gunfire, flashbang grenades and low-flying helicopters dropping soldiers onto the building’s roof, according to KTLA.
Local officials and residents reported that the disruptions continued well past the time frame originally announced by local law enforcement.
The Pasadena Police Department had issued a statement at approximately 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, advising the public that they might notice “limited helicopter activity, controlled explosions and simulated weapons fire” until 1 a.m. in the northeastern portion of the city.
However, Pasadena Councilman Rick Cole documented the training continuing an hour past that window. In a video posted to social media from the scene, loud explosions and simulated weapons fire could be heard against a backdrop of bright flashes as the military simulated an assault.
“It has been quite the evening here for the residents who are literally across the street,” Cole said in the recording. “It’s 2 a.m., and we’ve just been treated to 45 minutes of simulated gunfire and flash bang grenades, not to mention just absolutely deafening noise from the helicopters coming and going.”
Cole stated that the heavy military activity occurred directly opposite a residential area, adding, “Good luck to the people who have got to get up and go to work tomorrow morning.”
“The war games are over,” Cole said at 2:10 a.m. as the drill appeared to finally wind down.
Neighbors expressed frustration that the notice provided by authorities was too short and failed to convey the scale of the noise and disruption.
While the exercise was active, Pasadena police officers were deployed to manage vehicle and pedestrian safety in the surrounding area.
The Pasadena incident coincided with a separate, tightly controlled military training exercise held roughly 45 miles south in Orange County. The Irvine Police Department had previously announced on social media that the military would operate near Alton Parkway and Irvine Boulevard between 8 p.m. and midnight on June 3.
Irvine authorities warned community members that they might see or hear helicopters, but explicitly said that “no other training activities will be visible to the public.”
Irvine police personnel were stationed at the Orange County site to coordinate with the military and ensure public safety during the four-hour window, which concluded without the community backlash seen in Pasadena.
