Do we know why they are shot down? How do we know there is no dangerous material in them (e.g. radioactive)?
Even if it was full of plutonium, there probably is no better place for it to come down.
Lake Huron is neither particularly remote (from, say, civilization) nor is it land.
Because they are potential hazards and threats.
> How do we know there is no dangerous material in them (e.g. radioactive)?
Any material falling from a high altitude is dangerous, which figures into decisions about where and when to shoot them down. But if someone is floating hazardous payloads without permission and notice over your airspace, you probably don’t want to give them the choice of whether and when they come down....