Photo Credit: The Gorge Amphitheatre by lamblukas / CC by 2.0
Live Nation has settled a lawsuit with the families of two women shot and killed during the 2023 Beyond Wonderland festival at The Gorge Amphitheatre.
Live Nation has reached an undisclosed settlement with the families of two women, Brandy Escamilla, 29, and Josilyn Ruiz, 26, who were shot and killed during the 2023 Beyond Wonderland festival at the Gorge Amphitheatre. The settlement was filed on May 20 and reached ahead of the June 1 trial.
James M. Kelly, the suspect—who was an active member of the U.S. military at the time—remains in custody for the shooting in which several others were also injured. Notably, the settlement only pertains to the families of Escamilla and Ruiz.
The lawsuit was filed in King County, Washington, on April 11, 2024, alleging that the event organizers and security had “inadequate, unreasonable, and egregiously deficient conduct and security.” The filing asserted that Live Nation fell “woefully” short in enforcing its policies against drugs and weapons at the festival, and further alleged that the company has known for years about drugs and weapons at its events.
Kelly was, according to court records, attending the Beyond Wonderland festival on June 17, 2023, with his then-girlfriend. The suspect had taken a dose of psychedelic mushrooms and started having hallucinations. His girlfriend told authorities he had said, “This is the end,” and believed that the world was ending.
He then went to grab a gun from his car and fired multiple shots at Ruiz and Escamilla, who were walking in the campground area. Both women, who were nurses in Seattle and engaged to one another, died at the scene.
Kelly also allegedly shot and injured a 31-year-old man and his own girlfriend, Lily Luksich, both of whom were hospitalized and survived. He is also accused of firing shots at three private security officers, one of whom was struck and able to be treated at the scene.
According to investigators, Kelly also fired shots at a Grant County aerial vehicle while it was airborne before he was taken into custody in a field near the campground.
Kelly is being charged with two counts of premeditated murder, one specification of attempted premeditated murder, three specifications of assault with intent to murder, three specifications of domestic violence, and two specifications of the use and possession of psilocybin.
He previously pleaded not guilty and is being held at the Joint Base Lewis-McChord correctional facility, where court proceedings will take place. His trial is scheduled to begin in January 2027.
