Two People Killed in Mass Shooting Outside EDM Festival at the Gorge
Two people were killed and three more injured in a mass shooting outside the Beyond Wonderland EDM festival at Washington’s the Gorge Amphitheatre.
As a result of the shooting, organizers announced Sunday morning that it has canceled its second day at the Gorge.
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— Beyond Wonderland at The Gorge (@BeyondWlandPNW) June 18, 2023
The incident occurred at approximately 8:23 p.m. PST in the campground area outside of the scenic George, Washington venue; the festival’s Saturday lineup — which featured Dillon Francis, Timmy Trumpet, Armnhmr and more — was still happening inside the venue at the time of the shooting, and uninterrupted by the events in the campgrounds.
According to Grant County Sheriff’s Office public information officer Kyle Foreman, the suspect — who was later apprehended — fired “randomly into the crowd” in the campground area, an estimated 20 to 30-minute walk from the amphitheater.
“The shooter then walked away from where the incident happened,” Foreman said, adding that when police arrived on scene, the male suspect “continued to randomly shoot into the crowd and the suspect was eventually taken into custody.”
Foreman added in a late Saturday press conference, “We don’t know what the motives were or what the intentions were of the shooter and we’ll have to wait and see if we can find that information out later on.”
The names of the suspect and the victims have not yet been announced by authorities. On Sunday morning, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office announced that an independent investigation entity had taken over because the incident was in part an “officer-involved shooting”; KXLY reported that the suspect was shot by police.
On Saturday following the incident, Beyond Wonderland tweeted for attendees to “please avoid the Gorge Gate H campgrounds area as it is closed due to an incident that has been handled by local authorities. There is no current danger to festival goers or the campgrounds.”
By Sunday morning, organizers announced that the festival’s second day has been canceled. “Due to the incident that took place in the overflow camping area last night, we regret to find you that Day 2 of Beyond Wonderland at the Gorge has been cancelled,” organizers wrote.
“We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the local authorities and staff who acted quickly to manage the situation. Our heartfelt thoughts and condolences go out to the family, friends, and all those affected by this tragic event.”
Afrojack, Marshmello, Joyryde and more were among the artists scheduled to perform Sunday at the fest. Afrojack tweeted following news of the mass shooting and the canceled festival Sunday:
💔😢
— AFROJACK (@afrojack) June 18, 2023
In a follow-up tweet, Afrojack wrote that his thoughts were with “those passed away, injured and the whole community,” adding that he never in his life “thought this would happen.” Dillon Francis shared a similar sentiment on Twitter and Instagram, saying he was “heartbroken.” Subtronics tweeted that he was “devastated over the losses our community has suffered,” imploring fans to “please hug ur loved ones and tell them how much they mean to you.”
Malaa, a French DJ, tweeted that he had heard the news on his way to the Gorge and made up his mind not to perform there. “What happened at the festival camp is simply horrible, violence has no place in the world of music,” he wrote. Armnhmr, meanwhile, revealed that they had played an additional impromptu set at 2am Sunday morning after the shooting. “Thanks for the people that stuck around,” the duo tweeted. “That set was definitely something we all needed.”
Played an extra set at 2 am last night. Thanks for the people that stuck around. That set was definitely something we all needed. It was unannounced but the vibes were immaculate.
— ARMNHMR (@ARMNHMR) June 18, 2023
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