Yahoo Sports Beyond Wonderland Shooting Suspect Told Police He Took ‘Shrooms’
The man accused of killing two people at Beyond Wonderland in Washington over the weekend told police that he was hallucinating on mushrooms and believed the world was going to end, according to court documents obtained by Oregon Live and King5.
James M. Kelly — a 26-year-old active-duty member of the U.S. Army — allegedly opened fire at the Beyond Wonderland EDM festival on Saturday evening, leaving two individuals dead and three others injured. Among those injured was his girlfriend Lily Luksich, 20, whom Kelly told “this is the end” before the alleged shooting spree, King5 reported.
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According to the court docs, Kelly returned to the campgrounds from the festival proper, where he allegedly grabbed his handgun from his pickup truck, loaded it, and fired at Brandy Escamilla and Josilyn Ruiz, the engaged couple that died on the scene. He also shot at 31-year-old August Morningstar, who suffered a bullet wound in his shoulder and is now in stable condition after receiving treatment at a hospital.
According to the document, Kelly attempted to fire at a Grant County Sheriff’s Office drone, and later shot at his girlfriend in the foot and upper leg. “At multiple times, Luksich laid down on the ground and Kelly sat either on her, or sat next to her and leaned over her,” according to court records obtained by Oregon Live. “At one point Luksich began to walk north away from Kelly, turned around with her hands raised in the air, and walked back to Kelly.”
Kelly is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of first-degree assault, and one count of first-degree assault domestic violence.
The update regarding his mental state comes just hours after the North Central Washington Special Investigations Unit identified the victims and shooter. According to a press release from the department, he was booked into Grant County Jail.
Another victim, 61-year-old Lori Williams, was treated on-site for injuries sustained in a Polaris Ranger UTV when she “was struck by a single bullet that penetrated the windshield and struck her in the right side of her face shattering her glasses and causing bruising and laceration.”
The incident occurred at approximately 8:23 p.m. PT in the campground area outside of the Gorge venue in Grant County, Washington. During the shooting, the event itself was occurring in the amphitheater, which had a walking distance of about 20-30 minutes away from the camping grounds where festival-goers had pitched tents and parked their cars for the weekend festival.
According to Grant County Sheriff’s Office public information officer Kyle Foreman, the suspect fired “randomly into the crowd” in the campground area and continued to do so until he was “eventually taken into custody” in a secondary location from where it all began.
“Officers located Kelly and Luksich in an agricultural field adjacent to the campground. Moses Lake Police Department Detective Edgar Salazar fired his duty weapon at Kelly striking him one time,” the statement continued. “Responding officers then quickly moved in and Kelly was taken into custody and received emergency medical aid from the officers.”
The second day of the festival was canceled following the incident. The shooter’s motive remains unclear. His next hearing is set for July 5.
This story was updated at 7:10 p.m. ET to include new information about the suspect’s alleged use of hallucinogens, along with additional details of the incident.
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