Gorge shooting suspect appears in court
R. HANS MILLER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 6 months, 1 week AGO
James Kelly, the suspect in a shooting at the Gorge Amphitheater, appears during a court date in 2023. Kelly has been housed at the Grant County Jail since the incident as he waits for trial.
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. | June 11, 2025 3:10 AM
EPHRATA – James Kelly, the suspect in the June 2023 shooting at the Beyond Wonderland music festival, appeared in court Tuesday morning when his defense team requested a continuance for his omnibus hearing.
The readiness hearing and trial, set for July 21 and July 23, respectively, were not rescheduled. The omnibus hearing was pushed back to June 24 for the defense team to address some unspecified issues.
Kelly, who remains held at the Grant County Jail in Ephrata, has had his trial date moved several times, according to court records. The defense has worked to review records 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.
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.
As a result of the incident, Kelly 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.
ARTICLES BY R. HANS MILLER
Awareness helps prevent porch pirates’ success
EPHRATA — At least 58 million packages were stolen in the U.S. last year, with about 25% of Americans being the victims of theft, according to the United States Parcel Service. At the local level, there are thefts occurring regularly as well, but that doesn’t mean that you’re stuck being the victim, authorities say. “The experience of the Grant County Sheriff’s Office is that package theft happens regularly,” said GCSO Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman. “It is a crime of opportunity. When someone’s out looking to try and make a quick buck, they may drive through a neighborhood looking for unattended packages on the front porch.”
Gorge shooting trial rescheduled to 2026
EPHRATA — The trial in the case of James Kelly, the man charged in the June 2023 shooting that led to the deaths of two women at the Beyond Wonderland music festival held at The Gorge Amphitheatre, has been bumped to early next year, according to court documents.
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: In appreciation of educators ...
An experience I recently had with a school district, quite honestly, has left me gob-smacked a bit. I am in awe of the teachers and administrators at school districts throughout the region and what they have to deal with. Let me get back to the beginning, though. Journalists often cover a wide variety of topics and are constantly looking for ideas for stories that will matter to readers. As such, when we hear of events of interest, we sometimes ask to attend so we can either cover it, or, as in this case, learn how to cover a topic better.