Grant County Sheriff's Office sheds more light on Gorge shooting; identifies shooter, victims

Garrett Cabeza, The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
·2 min read
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Jun. 20—The Grant County Sheriff's Office identified the shooter and four victims who were shot Saturday night near the Gorge Amphitheatre in central Washington.

James M. Kelly, 26, of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, is held in the Grant County Jail on suspicion of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault and first-degree assault domestic violence, according to Grant County Sheriff Joe Kriete on the sheriff's office Facebook page. Kelly was hospitalized for a gunshot wound before being taken to jail.

Reports of shots fired inside the campground near the amphitheatre were made around 8:20 p.m., the post stated.

Officers from several local law enforcement agencies were providing services at the Gorge that night, Kriete wrote. Those agencies included the sheriff's office; Moses Lake, Soap Lake, Quincy and Royal City police departments; and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Those officers responded to Campground H in the northeast corner of the campground when they learned of the fired shots.

Officers found two women who were unconscious and had what appeared to be gunshot wounds. Both women died at the scene.

Grant County Coroner Craig Morrison identified the women as Brandy Paulette Escamilla, 29, and Josilyn Summer Ruiz, 26, both of Seattle. Morrison said Escamilla died from a gunshot to the head and Ruiz died from a gunshot to the torso.

Morrison classified both deaths as homicides.

Kriete wrote that 31-year-old Andrew Cuadra, of Eugene, Oregon, and 20-year-old Lily Luksich, of Mill Creek, Washington, were also shot. They were taken to local hospitals. Cuadra, who also goes by August Morningstar, was later transferred to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Morningstar said Tuesday he was shot in the shoulder and was awaiting surgery at Harborview Medical Center.

A private security officer was struck by a bullet that deflected off her eyeglasses, according to Kriete. She sustained bruising and lacerations because of the impact, but was not seriously injured.

The North Central Washington Special Investigation Unit was called in to investigate an "officer-involved shooting."

Kriete wrote the unit will describe further details about the shooting.

"I want to express my deepest sympathies to the victims, their families, and friends," Kriete wrote. "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."