The gunman who opened fire at a Washington state music festival over the weekend was a active duty soldier who was hallucinating after a dose of “‘shrooms,” according to court documents filed in the case.
James M. Kelly, 26, a US Army specialist serving at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, was attending the Beyond Wonderland electronic dance music festival at The Gorge. According to court documents, he told his girlfriend, “This is the end,” and grabbed a gun from his vehicle in the campground adjacent to the festival, KING reported.
He shot and killed Josilyn Ruiz, 26, and Brandy Escamilla, 29, as they walked by. Ruiz and Escamilla, who were engaged to be married, were pronounced dead at the scene, OregonLive reported.
Kelly allegedly shot Andrew Cuadra, another festival attendee, in the upper torso. Cuadra survived. Kelly began to walk away at that point, court records say, and his girlfriend, 20-year-old Lily Luksich, followed while calling 911.
“She told dispatch her man had a gun,” court records say. “Then no more information could be provided because Kelly took her phone and discarded it.”
Security guards arrived in a utility vehicle, and Kelly fired at them, the documents say, striking 61-year-old Lori Williams’ eyeglasses. She was left with cuts and bruises on her face.
Kelly and Luksich walked into an adjacent field. The Grant County Sheriff’s Office, trying to track them, flew a drone overhead, and Kelly fired at it.
“At multiple times, Luksich laid down on the ground and Kelly sat either on her, or sat next to her and leaned over her,” the court documents say. “At one point Luksich began to walk north away from Kelly, turned around with her hands raised in the air, and walked back to Kelly.”
Police said Kelly shot Luksich in the foot and upper leg, and that she has since been released from the hospital.
Moses Lake Police Detective Edgar Salazar, working undercover at the festival, ended the situation when he shot Kelly once, according to Capt. Brian Chance of the North Central Washington Special Investigation Unit. Salazar, 35, was placed on paid administrative leave.
Kelly appeared in court on Wednesday, charged with two counts of first degree murder, one count of first degree assault, and one count of first degree assault-domestic violence. He is being held without bond.
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[Featured image: Josilyn Ruiz and Brandy Escamilla/Family handout]
