Josilyn Ruiz, a 26-year-old Hispanic female, was tragically killed on June 17, 2023, in a shooting at the campgrounds of the Beyond Wonderland music festival near Quincy, Washington. She and her fiancée, Brandy Escamilla, 29, had traveled from their Seattle home to attend the popular electronic dance music event. The couple, both registered nurses, had recently relocated to Seattle and were excited to enjoy the festival together.
They were at their campsite, having returned to get warmer clothes, when the incident that claimed their lives unfolded.
The shooting occurred in the evening, sending shockwaves through the festival grounds. According to authorities, the gunman began firing randomly into the crowd at the campground, which was situated several hundred yards from the main festival area. Josilyn Ruiz sustained a fatal gunshot wound to her torso, while her fiancée, Brandy Escamilla, died from a gunshot wound to the head. Two other individuals were also wounded in the attack.
The suspect was identified as James M. Kelly, a 26-year-old active-duty soldier stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. It was reported that Kelly had ingested hallucinogenic mushrooms and believed the world was ending before he retrieved a handgun from his vehicle and began shooting. Law enforcement officers who responded to the scene shot and wounded Kelly before taking him into custody.
Following the incident, James M. Kelly was booked into the Grant County Jail and faced multiple charges, including two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of first-degree assault. The families of Josilyn Ruiz and Brandy Escamilla have since filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the festival organizer, Live Nation, alleging inadequate security and failure to enforce their policies against weapons and drugs at the event.
