Over the weekend, two people died and three were injured in Saturday night shooting at a campground on the site of the Gorge Amphitheater in Washington state. The first night of the EDM festival Beyond Wonderland was still ongoing when shots were fired around 8:30 PM local time. Local news reports that the shooting suspect- identified as 26-year-old James M. Kelly- is an active duty member of the US Army based out of Joint Base Lewis McCord.
Kelly has been placed into the Grant County Jail and is currently being held on two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault, and one count of first-degree assault domestic violence.
Killed in the campground adjacent to the Gorge during the Beyond Wonderland music festival were Brandy Escamilla and Josilyn Summer Ruiz, both from Seattle, who were engaged to be married. Left wounded in the gunfire were Lily Luksich, who was reported to have attended the concert with the shooter, and Andrew Cuadra, aka August Morningstar.
Escamilla died from a gunshot wound to the head and Ruiz succumbed to a gunshot wound to the torso, according to Grant County Coroner Craig Morrison, as reported by KXLY in Spokane. The couple were said to have been shot as they walked through the campground adjacent to the venue.
On top of the four killed or wounded, a fifth person — a security guard — was reported to have been hit by a bullet, but it deflected off her glasses, leaving the guard with lacerations but no serious injuries.
Beyond Wonderland canceled the second day of the festival on Sunday morning. “We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the local authorities and staff who acted quickly to manage the situation,” they wrote in a statement. “Our heartfelt thoughts and condolences go out to the family, friends, and all those affected by this tragic event.”
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