Murder Suspect In Gorge Shooting Cites Bad Mushroom Experience

Troopers say the man accused killing two people and injuring three others Saturday night at the Gorge Amphitheater was having a bad hallucination experience after taking mushrooms. 

An Affidavit of Probable Cause filed Tuesday in Grant County Superior Court by Washington State Patrol Detective Sergeant David Kiehl says 26-year old James Kelly had traveled to the Gorge for the Beyond Wonderland music festival with his girlfriend, 20-year-old Lily A. Luksich. 

Detective Kiehl says Luksich provided a recorded statement to investigators following the incident while Kelly provided a recorded statement after waiving his rights while being treated for injuries at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane. 

Kelly told troopers he was having a bad hallucination experience after taking a dose of mushrooms. 

He and Luksich, who he had been dating for approximately one year, were in the concert venue when they began to walk back to the adjacent campground. 

During that time, Luksich said Kelly made multiple statements to the effect of “this is the end." 

Detective Kiehl said Kelly went to his pickup truck where he located a hand gun and loaded it. 

Two people, 29-year-old Brandy Escamilla and her partner 26-year-old Josilyn S. Ruiz, both of Seattle, were walking in the campground and their path converged with Kelly' s location. Kelly fired numerous shots from his handgun at Escamilla and Ruiz.  

Escamilla and Ruiz were both struck by bullets and were both pronounced deceased at the scene. 

According to Detective Kiehl, 31-year-old Andrew J. Cuadra of Eugene, Oregon was in the campgrounds when he heard the shots and moved towards them. 

Cuadra approached from Kelly' s front-left when Kelly fired at least one shot at Cuadra, who was struck in the upper torso and sustained serious injuries. 

Kelly left the location of his pickup and was followed by Luksich, who used her cell phone to call 911. 

She told dispatch “her man” had a gun, but no more information could be provided because Kelly took her phone and discarded it.  

Kelly and Luksich continued in the campground. Kelly then fired at least two shots at a utility vehicle carrying employees of Crowd Management Services ( CMS) that was responding to a call of shots fired. 

One bullet penetrated the windshield and struck the eyeglasses of 62-year-old Lori L. Williams, who was driving the utility vehicle. The impact shattered her glasses and caused bruising and lacerations to Williams' face.  

Grant County Sheriff' s Office flew an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) over them and Kelly fired multiple shots at it. 

Kelly and Luksich then entered a farm field next to the campgrounds. 

At one point Luksich began to walk away from Kelly, but turned around with her hands raised in the air, and walked back to Kelly.  

Kelly fired a shot and struck Luksich's foot with a bullet, causing injury to her foot. He then fired another shot that struck Luksich' s upper leg, which according to Detective Kiehl caused life-threatening injuries that resulted in permanent injuries to Luksich. 

Kelly was then quickly approached contacted by law enforcement and shot by a Moses Lake police officer. 

He was taken to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, where he has received medical treatment  

Kelly is now in the Grant County Jail. 

Prosecutors are charging Kelly with two counts of 1st Degree Murder and three counts 1st Degree Assault.