Beyond Wonderland festival tragedy: Victims identified

Law enforcement officials have identified the two victims of the tragic shooting incident that took place at the Beyond Wonderland at The Gorge campground last weekend. The deceased individuals have been named as Brandy Escamilla, 29, and Josilyn Ruiz, 26, a couple from Seattle who worked as nurses. On the night of June 17th, both Escamilla and Ruiz were fatally shot by a lone gunman.

According to the North Central Washington Special Investigations Unit’s press release, Escamilla and Ruiz were engaged to be married. Kevin Boyle, a lawyer representing Ruiz’s family, stated to KIRO-TV that the couple had returned to their campsite to retrieve warmer clothing when the shooter unexpectedly opened fire, targeting them and their campsite.

The suspect responsible for the shooting has been identified as James Kelly, a 26-year-old active-duty member of the U.S. Army stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma. After allegedly firing indiscriminately into a crowd of people at a campground located a few hundred yards away from the Beyond Wonderland festival held at the Gorge Amphitheatre, police shot and apprehended Kelly.

Local reports indicate that Kelly sustained a gunshot wound and was subsequently taken to a hospital for treatment before being booked into the Grant County Jail. He faces multiple charges, including two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault, and one count of first-degree assault domestic violence.

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