FBI warns NJ residents not to shoot or point lasers at drones

NEW JERSEY - The FBI field office in Newark urged New Jersey residents this week not to shoot down drones or point lasers at manned aircraft, taking to social media to warn against the dangerous activity.

JUMP TO: NJ MAYOR LINKS DRONE SIGHTINGS TO MISSING RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL

The drone sightings have prompted a collective sense of panic among residents, who have taken to social media to share photos and videos of believed drones captured in the darkened U.S. skies. 

The shared sense of fear-mongering has also prompted some vigilante-like responses, with some social media users documenting efforts to take matters into their own hands, including via laser beam. 

In the statement, released by the FBI and New Jersey State Police, authorities expressly warned against such activities, citing an increase in pilots of manned aircraft in the area who have been hit in the eyes with lasers after being misidentified as a drone by someone on the ground. 

Officials said there is also a concern that people on the ground could also mistakenly fire weapons at what they believe to be an Unmanned Aircraft Systems, or UAS, but is in fact a manned aircraft.

"FBI Newark, NJSP, and dozens of other agencies and law enforcement partners have been out every night for several weeks to legally track down operators acting illegally or with nefarious intent and using every available tool and piece of equipment to find the answers the public is seeking," the authorities said in the statement. "However, there could be dangerous and possibly deadly consequences if manned aircraft are targeted mistakenly as UAS."

They also noted how easy it can be for an individual on the ground to mistake a manned aircraft for a UAS. 

"Misidentification often occurs when UAS are mistaken for more familiar objects such as manned aircraft, low-orbit satellites, or celestial bodies like planets or stars," they said. 

NJ mayor links drone sightings to missing radioactive material

On Tuesday, Belleville Mayor Michael Melham suggested the drones might be connected to missing radioactive material.

***NOTE: Watch the mayor's full interview with Curt Menefee and Rosanna Scotto in the media player below.

"We know we have drones flying in a grid-like pattern. In my opinion, they're looking for something. What might they be looking for? Maybe that's radioactive material," Melham said on Good Day New York.

According to a Nuclear Regulatory Commission alert, radioactive material went missing on Dec. 2.

"It was a shipment. It arrived at its destination. The container was damaged, and it was empty," Melham said.

Melham on drones

Melham told Good Day: "Information has not been forthcoming, and it's this lack of transparency…that's doing nothing but fueling conspiracy theories online."

When asked about his thoughts on what the drones could be, Melham responded, "I can tell you what it's not."

"We know for a fact it's not little green men," he added, saying the drones were flying in a grid and that they could likely be looking for something. 

"Maybe that's radioactive material," Melham said. "And more than likely, it's not a foreign adversary, because they would be able to figure out how to turn off the blinking lights."

Missing radioactive material in NJ 

The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reported radioactive material lost in transit in Newfield, New Jersey, on December 3, 2024. The material, identified as a Ge-68 pin source (Eckert & Ziegler model HEGL-0132) with approximately 0.267 mCi of activity, was shipped for disposal but never arrived intact.

According to the NRC, "The shipping container arrived at its destination damaged and empty. The licensee has filed a claim with the shipper. If the source is not located within 30 days, the licensee will follow up with a full written report to include root cause(s) and corrective actions."

What kind of radioactive material was it? 

The NRC categorized the material as "Less than IAEA Category 3," meaning it’s unlikely to cause permanent injury. However, unshielded material could potentially cause temporary harm if mishandled or in close proximity for an extended period.

The NRC explains that sources categorized as "Less than IAEA Category 3" contain minimal radioactive material. While unlikely to cause permanent injury, mishandling or prolonged exposure to these sources, such as moisture density gauges, could temporarily harm individuals over several weeks.

The radioactive material was licensed to the Nazha Cancer Center.