Army's Weapons Testing Damages NJ Home, Kills Cat

Images of the shrapnel-damaged bedroom from WNBC

A NJ family is very angry at the Army for "misfiring" a projectile and having part of a shell crash through their roof and onto their daughter's bed. Their 10-year-old daughter had just left for a sleepover, but the family cat who was sleeping there was so seriously injured she had to be euthanized.

The 6-inch by 4-inch, 2-pound piece of shrapnel lay smoldering on the bed and was, according to a Jefferson Township, NJ detective, "so hot you could not touch it." The Angle family's home is 2.5 miles from the Picatinny Arsenal. According to the Star-Ledger, the projectile--packed with 2-3 pounds of explosives--was "expected to travel no farther than 1,300 feet" but one piece managed to go "four times than distance."

Commanding General Brig. Gen. William Phillips of Picatinny Arsenal said testing would be stopped and an investigation conducted and added, "We deeply regret the damage and fright the incident caused this family." Homeowner Cheryl Angle said her daughter "is crying and crying. She will have a phobia from this," and says they may pursue legal action against the army.

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By Jen Chung in News on April 13, 2008 10:18 AM

Comments [rss]

Dave Hogarty

the cat also said "What the hell? I was only on #7! I thought that shit in Vegas didn't count!"

Barbj8

And now they know why the house so close to the Picatinny Arsenal was so cheap.

babyhitler

#6- look up sarcasm.

gregroth

the cat said "i cant believe this. i just can't believe this. i had so many cat things to cat look forward to."

konakazi

@bklynd

Ha! Nice.

@babyhitler

Ah, a bitter person with a hitler scrrename. Like I haven't seen that one before. very unoriginal.

babyhitler

a donnie darko reference. Like I haven't heard that one before whenever there is a story about the military shooting shit into people's homes. very unoriginal.

The Edge

Yeah, because shrapnel ALWAYS go where you want 'em to.

Snoopy

Quality pinpoint accuracy by our armed forces. Only over shot the target by four times. No wonder so many civilians get killed during wartime. Not to mention the missing of strategic targets.

Steven

Definitely a lawsuit will be coming out of this no doubt.

bklynd

Of course, now the 10-year-old daughter is living in a parallel universe, followed by a creepy spectral cat that won't talk to her. She'll have to go back in time, cancel the sleepover, and meet her intended destiny. Because the parallel universe turns out to be worse than this one.