Artillery shell strikes house, kills cat

(CBS) 

A New Jersey family had some scary moments Friday after their house was hit by a fiery missile.

A fragment of a two-pound artillery shell plummeted through the roof of their Jefferson Township home around 2:30 p.m. Friday, landing on their little girl's bed - ultimately killing the family's cat.

CBS Station WCBS correspondent Lou Young reports the shell was fired off from the Picatinny Arsenal, the U.S. Army's sprawling weapons research facility in Picatinny, 2.5 to 3 miles away.

"They heard the explosion, they felt the concussion and a few seconds later the piece came through the roof," homeowner Fred Angle said.

The sheer random chance of the event is staggering. Shrapnel came sailing through the air in an arc punching a hole in the roof the size of a fist, into the bedroom where 10-year-old Cassandra sleeps.

The piece of shrapnel landed where the girl normally sleeps.

The Angle family spoke with co-anchor Julie Chen about the tragedy on "The Early Show" Monday. To see the interview,

click here

.

Brandon Gadow, Cassandra's brother, tried to grab the shrapnel, but it was too hot. He pulled the blanket and the cat outside and called the police.

The family's cat was injured and had to be euthanized, but Cassandra was spared because she was picked up early for a playdate.

"Literally she would've been sitting in the bed with the cat because that was where she was before she left," Cassandra's mother Cheryl Angle said. "The cat ended up staying there when she left."

Base Spokesman Peter Rowlands said, "we deeply regret what happened and also the effect it's had on the family; the loss of their pet, and also the damage to their home, and just the fright they experienced."

The Army knows it was lucky - that it dodged a bullet, not to put too fine a point on it - and as a result all outdoor weapons testing has been suspended pending the outcome of an investigation.

Army brass will be back out at the house on Monday to talk about compensation for the family.

Picatinny is the site of the Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center, whose mission is to conduct research, development and engineering for weapons systems.

Ironically, the Army says the accident occurred while it was testing safer way to dispose of unwanted artillery shells.

[ikameron]

Hey Family''s Cat,

Your Cat is Beautiful Name. I''m Deeply Sorry To Hear. My Tear, Too I Did Praying To Your Cat. I Believe God Take Care Of Cat In Heaven Already. You Have To Think a Positive!! I Know You Can''t Forget From The Few Past Scared. No Easy From Few The Past. But, You Will Be Fine Next Week. Cat Know You Love Cat (Aritally). I Believe Cat Is No Pain Right Now In Heaven. Trust Me.

Listen If You Will Buy a Kitten Again. Next Time You Will Pray Every Night Before It Won''t Occur To Hit Your House Or Etc, Anymore. Trust Me! You Will Think About It What I''m Saying.

I Always Think Of Your Cat. God Bless You! Amen

[ikameron]

Hey (All People) Everyone,

Let''s Me Straight! If You Own Cat When It Occur Your Cat Dead. Then How You Feel ? If You Don''t Care I Guess All People Your Problem. No Artillery Kills Family Cat Problem.

No Matter Children and Animals. I Always Care Children and Cats/Dogs Any Animals No Matter What. That''s Your Heart and Everyone Love Heart Belong Children/Any Animals And Care, Too.

I''m Strong Care Both Of Them. You Can''t Judge Better Child Than Animals. It''s Wrong All Of You. You Know It. It Is No Matter.

I Can Understand Why You Are No Feel Care Animals Becuz You Are No Owner Yet. No Wondering.. If You Have a Owner Cat If You Don''t Care. Then Your Problem. But, If You Care Child Like Your Daughter Girl. If Your Daughter Love Cat and She Cries and Upset From Cat Dies. How You Feel About Child Emotional. Then Respect Your Child For Animals. Then Respect Animals, Too.

See That Little Girl This Video. She Was Little Girl Cried. See That ? Her''s Family Respect Her For Cat.

[gunsrevil]

--------My father''''s family was dirt poor. He was the 14th. of 16 children. They lived from meal to meal,......and they made it through life on nothing but their faith. Your excuses LAME me out.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by cfin5 at 06:56 PM : Apr 14, 2008

So you come from a family of idots, having 16 children when they can only afford to feed and clothe 4 children thereby depriving all their children.Not very smart.

[cfin5]

Nancy_Niave, erasmus6,......All you have to do is say abortion is wrong. Then I will believe you.

[erasmus6]

"Folks like you consider the feelings of a cat to be more important than the feelings of a little child......sicko!" Posted by cfin5

There isn''t anybody here that feels a cats feelings is more important than the feelings of a child. You are just making a mountain out of a mole hill. You are making yourself look like the idiot you are.

You are just trying to cover up the fact that you are an unfeeling moron by making out that everybody else is.

[cfin5]

Let me ask you what do you think about children that are born into homes where proper care can not be provided due to finances and/or neglect? I know we have to agree to disagree.

Posted by rob416 at 10:34 AM : Apr 14, 2008--------My father''s family was dirt poor. He was the 14th. of 16 children. They lived from meal to meal,......and they made it through life on nothing but their faith. Your excuses LAME me out.

[cfin5]

I''''m really sorry to read some of these sick and disgusting comments about the cat. Perhaps those indivduals, and you know who you are, forget it was a familes pet they apparently loved. Also, a 10 year old girl could have been killed had she been there. You know we humans share the planet with other species, not own it as some of the coomments here apparently think we do. Cats and other animals have feelings that are just the same as humans. They feel love and hate, anxiety, compassion, etc. Just because they don''''t communicate as we do or have the same level of intelligence, dosen''''t make them expendable. In fact from comments I read on here I think cats have greater intelligence than some people.

Posted by rob416 at 08:56 PM : Apr 13, 2008---------------Thanks for making my point VERY clear. Folks like you consider the feelings of a cat to be more important than the feelings of a little child......sicko!

[rob416]

To cfin5: My answer to your question whats my take on an unborn child being aborted? First, the cat incident which was an accident has nothing to do with that isssue. Legal abortion is chosen, wheras a cat getting killed the way the one in NJ is not. It seems anti abortion people use every opportunity to interject their points of view even when the topics are not necessarily related.

I as a pro choice advocate, which by the way does not mean pro abortion. It is the opportunity for a woman to make choices when it comes to her body. Pro choice offers counseling to those indivduals that want it and they are not necessarily counseled to have an abortion. Let me ask you what do you think about children that are born into homes where proper care can not be provided due to finances and/or neglect? I know we have to agree to disagree.

[speakinup]

"Base Spokesman Peter Rowlands said, "we deeply regret what happened and also the effect it''s had on the family; the loss of their pet, and also the damage to their home, and just the fright they experienced."


"There should be, but I''ll bet that there will never be even a apology to this family. Posted by cbsblogger



cbsblogger - did you even READ the article before making your hate post ?

[ranger1948]

Here is a bizarre story for you. A family living outside Bangkok, Thailand found a large king cobra on their Budhist shrine. They killed the snake , cooked it and ate it. The next day a large king cobra came into their house attacking everyone involved in killling the king cobra the day before. Three people died and four are in the hospital. The people now believe the first snake was a reincarnation of Budha and the second snake was sent to avenge the first snake. A Budhist worship site is considered sacred and nothing should be killed there.