Suspected gunman in Gorge Amphitheater shooting that killed 2 is an Army specialist

The victims who died in Saturday night’s shooting at a campground near the Gorge Amphitheatre in Washington state were two women in their twenties, and an Army intelligence and artillery support specialist has been named as the alleged gunman.

Grant County Coroner Craig Morrison on Tuesday identified the women as Brandy Escamilla, 29, and Josilyn Ruiz, 26. A GoFundMe fundraiser for Ruiz said the women were engaged.

Also on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the U.S. Army Special Operations Command identified the alleged shooter as Spc. James Kelly, with the 75th Ranger Regiment at Joint Base Lewis McChord. Kelly joined the Army in 2021 and worked as a Joint Fire Support Specialist, said Lt. Col. Mike Burns.

Escamilla died from a gunshot wound to the head and Ruiz died from a gunshot wound to her trunk, Morrison said. Officials have not disclosed how many times either woman was shot.

The shooting happened shortly before 8:30 p.m. while the electronic music festival Beyond Wonderland took place at the amphitheater, which is in Quincy, Washington.

The suspected shooter, now identified as Kelly, fired into the crowd at the campground, and as he walked away, he continued firing randomly, said Kyle Foreman, a Grant County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson. Two others were injured, as was the alleged gunman.

It appears at least one sheriff’s deputy fired at Kelly. He sustained injuries and was arrested, Foreman said. A roster for the Grant County jail lists Kelly as of Tuesday.

The Grant County Sheriff’s Office turned over the investigation to the North Central Washington Special Investigation Unit, which investigates police shootings.

Organizers of Beyond Wonderland canceled the second day of the festival Sunday.