3 Arrested With a Living Mortar at Pearl Harbor Gate
HONOLULU HI Jan 17 2020 A mortar shell was found in a vehicle outside the gate of the sprawling Pearl Harbor military base, closing the base for hours and leading to three people being arrested, military officials said on Wednesday.
It is unclear what the trio planned to do or where they wanted to go when they were arrested Tuesday night, base spokesman Charles Anthony said calling the mortar “mortar” and “d deadly weapon “.
A mortar is a portable weapon that is loaded and fired by dropping an explosive shell into a tube. Anthony said there was no shooting device in the car. He said the projectile could be modified and triggered by something other than a traditional mortar tube, but no detonation system was found in the vehicle.
Hundreds of people, usually lost, find themselves at the Pearl Harbor gate daily and turn around if they do not have the necessary identification to enter, said Anthony.
“The security guard first noticed the smell of marijuana, then looked inside the vehicle and saw what could be a device,” he said.
The Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam was closed at about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday for incoming and outgoing traffic while a bomber brigade investigated the vehicle which appeared without permission to enter, the navy said in a statement. .
The base doors were closed for about two hours. There were no injuries.
Naval Criminal Investigative Service investigated and arrested the three suspects, said Anthony.
The base is home to a shipyard where an active duty American sailor opened fire on three civilian employees in December, killing two of them. Officials said the sailor, whose submarine was docked at Pearl Harbor, then committed suicide.
The shooting took place days before dignitaries and veterans attended the base ceremony to mark the 78th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
