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Michigan officials addressing theories of unidentified airborne object shot down over Lake Huron

At least 4 objects shot down since Feb. 4

Michigan government officials are addressing some theories about an unidentified airborne object that was shot down over Lake Huron.

U.S. fighter jets have shot down three unidentified flying objects since Friday. The latest takedown of the unidentified object happened Sunday over Lake Huron. All three objects looked different, according to two U.S. officials. One official said they were approximately the same size.

“I do not think it was a UFO. I have zero reasons to believe that and, in general, don’t believe too much in those conspiracy theories,” said Rep. Elissa Slotkin.

Theories have been running wild about who or what’s behind the multiple unidentified objects to be shot down in the last few days. So much, so that state leaders like Slotkin and Senator Gary Peters have had to remind people we still have no idea what the objects are.

“We’re still not sure exactly what it was, who owned it. What its operation was. That’s gonna be determined once the debris field has been accessed,” said Peters on Monday.

Most of the debris from the leftover object shot down Lake Huron is currently being extracted and examined. White House security spokesperson John Kirby said it differs from the Chinese spy balloon shot down on Feb. 4, flying significantly lower on top of more.

“These objects were not being maneuvered. They did not appear to have any self propulsion. So the likely hypothesis is that they were being moved by the propelling winds,” said Kirby.

Canadian Prime Minister, Just Trudeau, said he’d seen some pattern in the objects that were shot down. White House officials could elaborate, but at least they are saying the objects aren’t dangerous at this time.

“We do not assess that these most recent objects pose any direct threat to people on the ground, and we are laser-focused on confirming their nature and purpose, including through intensive efforts to collect debris in remote locations where they have fallen,” announced Kirby.


Read: Dept. of Defense believes object shot down over Lake Huron is same as spotted in Montana


Timeline of objects shot down over North America

The U.S. military has shot down at least four aerial objects, starting with a Chinese spy balloon.

Officials said the three other objects were inconsistent with the Chinese aerial surveillance balloons fleet.

  • On Feb. 4, a Chinese spy balloon was “safely” shot down off the South Carolina coast.
  • On Feb. 10, a U.S. fighter jet brought down an unidentified object over the waters of Alaska. Officials said it broke down into pieces and was likely not a balloon. It is believed to have been cylindrical and the size of a small car.
  • On Feb. 11, an American F-22 fighter downed an object over the Yukon Territory, which borders Alaska. A Canadian official described the object as cylindrical and smaller than the spy balloon.
  • On Feb. 12, an object was shot down over Lake Huron while flying at 20,000 feet.

Related: Everything we know about the unidentified object shot down over Lake Huron

Previous coverage: Michigan officials confirm object over Lake Huron has been shot down


About the Authors
Victor Williams headshot

Victor Williams joined Local 4 News in October of 2019 after working for WOIO in Cleveland, OH, WLOX News in Biloxi, MS, and WBBJ in Jackson, TN. Victor developed a love for journalism after realizing he was a great speaker and writer at an early age.

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