A video screen grab shows Army Spc. James Kelly making his first court appearance on June 21, 2023. (YouTube)
TACOMA, Wash. — A supply support specialist for a Ranger unit accused of killing two people and wounding five others in a shooting spree at a June 2023 outdoor concert in the Columbia River Gorge was arraigned in military court Friday at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Spc. James M. Kelly, 28, was charged under the Uniform Code of Military Justice with the premeditated murder of Josilyn Ruiz and Brandy Escamilla; one specification of attempted premeditated murder; three specifications of assault with intent to murder; three specifications of domestic violence; and two specifications of the use and possession of psilocybin, a controlled substance.
Kelly entered a not guilty plea to all charges. He exercised his choice of court-martial, asking to be tried by a panel that will include officers and enlisted personnel.
If convicted on all charges, Kelly faces life in prison, according to the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel, which handles murder, manslaughter, kidnapping and most sex crimes allegedly committed by soldiers.
Kelly enlisted in 2021 and was a member of the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment based at Lewis-McChord, just south of Tacoma, at the time of the shooting.
Kelly is being held in pre-trial confinement at Northwestern Joint Regional Correctional Facility at JBLM.
No trial date was set.
Kelly was arrested by civilian authorities soon after the June 17, 2023, incident at the Beyond Wonderland concert held at the amphitheater in the Columbia River Gorge. He faced murder and other charges in civilian court in Grant County, Wash. He had been held at the Grant County Jail since the incident.
The Grant County prosecuting attorney issued a statement Feb. 6 that the Army would take over the case. The Army says it took over the case on Feb. 10.
“This decision was made with great care,” Grant County Prosecuting Attorney Brandon K. Guernsey wrote in the statement. “While our office was fully prepared to proceed to trial in Grant County, if necessary, after thorough coordination with military prosecutors, we concluded that prosecution within the military justice system best serves the interest of justice.”
Kelly had been in continuous custody since the night of the incident, when he was shot by civilian law enforcement and hospitalized.
“We continue to recognize that the loss has been deeply traumatic for many people,” Grant County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman said in a statement last month.
According to reports in The Columbian, a newspaper in Vancouver, Wash., civilian investigators say Kelly opened fire on festival concertgoers in the Gorge campground on June 17, 2023.
Kelly later told officers he had ingested psilocybin mushrooms and was experiencing psychedelic hallucinations in which he believed the world was coming to an end, according to media accounts at the time.
According to a Washington State Patrol report, Kelly retrieved a handgun from his truck and shot multiple rounds at Escamilla and Ruiz, who were walking nearby. Both women died at the scene.
Kelly also allegedly shot and seriously wounded Andrew Cuadra, a festivalgoer. He then fired at a security vehicle, wounding driver Lori Williams, according to The Columbian. He also shot down a Grant County Sheriff’s Office drone.
Kelly then turned the gun on his then-girlfriend, Lily Luksich, shooting her twice, causing significant injuries, according to investigators.
“There are a total of seven victims in this case,” said Michelle McCaskill, a spokeswoman for the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel, based at Fort Belvoir, Va.
McCaskill noted that charges are allegations, and Kelly is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
