Grant County Sheriff’s Office Releases Statement On Gorge Shooting
The shooting at the Gorge Amphitheatre took the Pacific Northwest by surprise. A scary incident happened in a place that should be a center of joy, music, art, and celebration. The emergency crews that came in to help did an amazing job, helping out as many as they could and keeping the situation under control. Sadly, evil happened, and now, we need to pick up the pieces, remember the ones we’ve lost, keep them in our hearts, and live as best as we can.
The Grant County Sheriff’s Office was instrumental in getting updates out to the public this past Saturday night. Many questions went unanswered, and still, many mysteries remain. We do have an update on the victims of the shooting this weekend.
In a statement released via the Grant County Sheriff’s Office’s official Facebook Page, Sheriff Joe Kriete shared more information about the events that transpired as well as the names of the shooting victims and the person being held for the shooting.
“There were officers from several different local law enforcement agencies providing services at the Gorge that night. Those agencies included the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, the Moses Lake Police Department, the Soap Lake Police Department, the US Bureau of Land Management, the Quincy Police Department, and the Royal City Police Department. All those officers quickly responded to Campground H in the northeast corner of the campground.” Reads the statement from Sheriff Joe Kriete.
“When they arrived at the scene, they found the bodies of two females who were unconscious and suffering from what appeared to be gunshot wounds. Both females were pronounced dead at the scene. The two females have been identified by Coroner Craig Morrison as 29-year-old Brandy Escamilla and 26-year-old Josilyn Ruiz, both residents of Seattle.” Continues Sheriff Kriete.
Two people sustained gunshot injuries, 31-year-old Andrew Cuadra from Eugene, Oregon, and 20-year-old Lily Luksich of Mill Creek, Washington. A private security officer who responded to the report was struck by a stray bullet but was not seriously injured.
“The suspect is 26-year-old James M. Kelly of Joint Base Lewis-McChord. He was hospitalized for a gunshot wound and was returned to Grant County today where he is lodged in the Grant County Jail. He is held for investigation of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault, and one count of first-degree assault domestic violence.” Reads the Sheriff’s statement.
This incident is still being investigated by The North Central Washington Special Investigation Unit. We will hopefully get more details about what transpired Saturday night, including a motive.
“I want to express my deepest sympathies to the victims, their families, and friends. This is a tragic incident, and I know that I speak for my staff when I say that we are holding you in our thoughts.” – Sheriff Joe Kriete
We have the full release below:
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