The gunman who left two dead and others injured during a mass shooting at The Gorge Amphitheatre has pleaded not guilty to five charges including two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault, and one count of first-degree domestic violence assault at a hearing on Wednesday. He is currently being held without bail.
James M. Kelly, a 26-year-old active duty member Army Ranger, is accused of opening fire at a campground adjacent to the venue during the Beyond Wonderland EDM festival after retrieving a handgun from his pickup truck, resulting in the deaths of Brandy Escamilla and Josilyn Ruiz, an engaged couple from Seattle, and multiple injuries. Kelly told police officers that he was hallucinating on psychedelic mushrooms and thought the world was going to end.
Witnesses told Rolling Stone that they saw Kelly “just screaming, and then … also mumbling and kind of ranting to himself, like laughing to himself the entire time,” before telling his girlfriend, “Lily, this is it. They’re coming for us.” Lily Luksich is among those Kelly is accused of shooting.
Kelly is scheduled to appear in court again on July 25th. His trial is expected to begin in late August. If convicted, he faces life in prison.