Alleged Beyond Wonderland shooter pleads not guilty to all charges
James M. Kelly, the alleged shooter at Beyond Wonderland in Washington, has pled not guilty to all criminal charges. Kelly is accused of killing two women, and injuring three other people at the dance festival last month.
He appeared in court on July 5th to plead not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault, and one count of first-degree domestic violence assault Wednesday at a hearing. As it stands, Kelly, who is an active member of the US military, is being held without bail.
The alleged shooter has been assigned with a public defender and is next scheduled to appear in court on July 25th. His trial is set to begin on August 25th. Kelly could potentially face life imprisonment if he is found guilty.
According to detectives, Kelly consumed psychedelic mushrooms on June 17th which led to him hallucinating. Allegedly, his girlfriend recalled Kelly believing the world was ending before he went to his truck to pick up his gun before Brandy Escamilla and Josilyn Ruiz lost their lives. Kelly also allegedly caused a serious injury to his girlfriend, another festival-goer and a Beyond Wonderland employee.
According to court documents obtained by the Seattle Times, Kelly alleges his hallucinations could have played a role in the shootings.
The shootings took place in the campgrounds of The Gorge Amphitheatre and police are currently investigating how a weapon made its way into the vicinity despite being a banned item.
Following the incident, Beyond Wonderland confirmed the second day of the event had been cancelled. “Earlier this evening, there was an isolated emergency incident that occurred in a remote area of the festival campgrounds. As a result, day 2 of Beyond Wonderland has unfortunately been cancelled,” they explained on social media.
This is a developing story.
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