GEORGE — Live Nation has settled a wrongful death lawsuit connected to a June 2023 shooting at the Beyond Wonderland electronic music festival at The Gorge Amphitheatre, avoiding a trial that was scheduled to begin next month.
The civil case was filed on behalf of the families of Brandy Escamilla, 29, and Josilyn Ruiz, 26, both Seattle residents who were killed June 17, 2023, when an apparently hallucinogen‑affected attendee opened fire in the festival’s campground area. Security officials later identified the alleged gunman as James M. Kelly, an active‑duty U.S. Army specialist stationed at Joint Base Lewis‑McChord at the time of the shooting.
According to court documents, Kelly reportedly ingested hallucinogenic mushrooms on the way to the festival, then retrieved a handgun from his truck parked in the campground and opened fire without warning, fatally striking Escamilla and Ruiz. Several other festival‑goers were injured in the incident…