Gorge shooting trial rescheduled for late August
R. HANS MILLER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 7 months, 1 week AGO
James Kelly during a prior court appearance. Kelly, 28, is facing multiple felony charges associated with a 2023 shooting at The Gorge Amphitheater that led to two deaths and multiple injuries.
FILE PHOTO
Managing Editor Rob Miller is a 4-year U.S. Army veteran who grew up in Western Montana in a community about the size of Soap Lake. An honors graduate of Texas State University, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Brandee, and their three dogs, Draco, Pepper and Cinnamon. He has one son, William. During his free time, he enjoys photography, video games, reading and working on the house he and his wife bought in Ephrata. He is passionate about the First Amendment and educating communities. | July 28, 2025 3:00 AM
EPHRATA – The trial for James Kelly, the suspect in the shooting that occurred during the Beyond Wonderland Music Festival in June of 2023, has been postponed again. An omnibus hearing is set for July 28, a readiness hearing for Aug. 25 and the trial for Aug. 27.
The trial had been set for July 23.
Kelly’s trial has been rescheduled several times, according to court records. Additionally, several orders preventing Kelly from having weapons or contacting victims in the shooting have been extended several times while Kelly remains in custody at the Grant County Jail. Kelly, 28, faces two counts of murder in the first degree, one count of assault in the first degree — domestic violence and two counts of assault in the first degree. Kelly, an active-duty U.S. Army soldier, is being held without bail pending the results of the trial. It is unknown if he will face additional military discipline.
Kelly was stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord at the time of the incident.
Kelly is alleged by investigators to have brought a weapon into the Gorge concert venue in George. Court records report that investigators found he’d taken psychedelic mushrooms that led to him going to his weapon and killing two women, injuring his now-former girlfriend and multiple other festival attendees.
Investigators named Brandy Escamilla, 29, and Josilyn Ruiz, 26, both of Seattle, as the couple killed in the shooting. Also injured were Kelly’s former girlfriend, Lily Luksich of Mill Creek; Andrew Cuadra of Eugene, Ore.; and Lori Williams, a Crowd Management Services employee who responded to the area where the shooting occurred.
The defense has worked to review records and be thorough throughout the court case, according to court documents, and the investigation has been detailed. A September 2024 court document ordered investigators with the Washington State Patrol to release mushrooms and the associated packaging taken from Kelly upon his arrest to a lab in Pennsylvania for testing.
The names and details in the prior paragraphs were previously released. A court order for limited information sharing regarding the investigation has since been issued to protect the integrity of the case.
Kelly remains on the Grant County Jail Inmate Roster and is being held without bail.
ARTICLES BY R. HANS MILLER
Suspect in 2022 murder of Moses Lake woman expected to change plea
EPHRATA — Juan Gastelum, 31, of Hermiston, Ore., the suspect in the March 2022 killing of Yanira Cedillos, is expected to change his current plea of not guilty to a guilty plea. Prosecutors in the case have requested that a plea change hearing be set for March 3, according to court documents.
Counselors help students plan ahead at Ephrata High
EPHRATA — Planning for the future isn’t something freshmen in high school gravitate toward, but the four guidance counselors at Ephrata High School point them in the right direction to get their futures planned.
Multiple projects coming to Ephrata in ‘26
EPHRATA — Multiple civic projects are coming to Ephrata this year as spring starts to waive at us from the not-too-distant future. Park upgrades, sports facility improvements and roadway upgrades are among them, according to Ephrata City Administrator Ray Towry.