Washington state music festival shooting victims identified as engaged couple; suspect was stationed at U.S. Army base
The alleged gunman who fired into a crowd killing two people at a Washington state music festival Saturday was stationed at a U.S. Army base in Western Washington, law enforcement officials said Tuesday. Meanwhile, family members said the victims were engaged to be married.
James M. Kelly, 26, of Joint Base Lewis-McChord was booked into the Grant County Jail Tuesday on investigation of two counts of murder, two counts of assault and one count of domestic violence assault, Grant County Sheriff Joe Kriete said in a Facebook post. Law enforcement officers shot him Saturday and he was being treated at a hospital until Tuesday, the sheriff said.
The shooting killed two people and wounded two others in an area where people were camping for the Beyond Wonderland electronic dance music festival at the Gorge Amphitheatre.
The two people killed were Seattle residents Brandy Escamilla, 29, and Josilyn Ruiz, 26, Grant County Coroner Craig Morrison said Tuesday. Escamilla died of a gunshot wound to the head, and Ruiz died from a gunshot wound to her torso, Morrison said. The two were engaged to be married, according to a fundraising campaign by family members.
Josilyn Ruiz and her partner Brandy Escamilla have been identified as the two victims who were shot and killed at the Gorge campground on Saturday. https://t.co/tehJuPCZCk
— KIRO 7 (@KIRO7Seattle) June 21, 2023
Kevin Boyle, an attorney who represents the family of Josilyn Ruiz, told CBS affiliate KIRO-TV that the couple had recently moved to Seattle's Ballard neighborhood. The two were both nurses and attended the Beyond Wonderland Festival over the weekend.
"My understanding is that they had actually gone back to the campsite to put on some warmer clothes and unfortunately the shooter opened fire on their campsite and on them," Boyle said.
Lily Luksich, 20, of Mill Creek, Washington, and 31-year-old Andrew Cuadra of Eugene, Oregon, were shot and wounded, according to the sheriff.
They were transported to local hospitals for treatment, and Cuadra was later taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, CBS affiliate KREM-TV reported.
A private security officer responding to the report of shots fired was struck by a bullet that deflected off her eyeglasses, causing bruising and lacerations, the sheriff said.
The sheriff's office said it received a report of a shooting around 8:20 p.m. Saturday at the camping area at the amphitheater near the small city of George, 149 miles (240 kilometers) east of Seattle. The shooting happened several hundred yards from the music festival.
Joint Base Lewis-McChord Lt. Col. Mike Burns told KREM-TV in a statement Tuesday that the command is aware of the allegations against Kelly.
"First, the U.S. Army Special Operations Command extends our condolences to the victims and families of those affected by this act of violence," Lt. Col. Mike Burns, director of public affairs with the US. Army Special Operations Command said in the statement to KREM-TV. "The command is aware of the allegations against Spc. James Kelly. We take all allegations seriously and are fully cooperating with the appropriate authorities."
Burns said Kelly is a joint fire support specialist assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment at the military base. It wasn't immediately known if Kelly has a lawyer to comment on his behalf.
The North Central Washington Special Investigation Unit is investigating the shooting of Kelly by law enforcement officers. The names of the officer or officers who fired at Kelly haven't been released.
The shooting came amid a spate of gun violence over the weekend that killed and wounded numerous people across the U.S., including at least 60 shot in the Chicago area alone.