The EDM community is still reeling from a shooting that occurred at Beyond Wonderland at the Gorge campground this past weekend, leaving two dead and three injured.
On June 17 at around 8:23PM local time, a man open fired into the Gorge Gate H campground at the festival, indiscriminately targeting festival goers. The campground is about a 15-minute walk from the festival site where most attendees were gathered to dance and listen to music.
Two people were killed as a result, with three injured including the shooter.
Attendees of the festival were obviously shaken by the news, although an announcement from organizers said there was no risk to festival goers or those at the campground after the suspect was apprehended.
The police do not have details on a motive and have not released information on the type of weapon used.
The event did continue for the rest of day one, but eventually, the second day of Beyond Wonderland at the Gorge was canceled, with campers allowed to stay through the weekend if they had no other place to stay or a way to get home.
EDM Maniac’s team on site is safe and was able to update us on the situation from inside the festival throughout the weekend. For a full report of the incident, click here.
We at EDM Maniac are absolutely heartbroken by the violence in our community and extend our condolences to the friends and families of those who lost their lives in this tragedy.
Updated at 10:15AM PST
CEO of Insomniac Events Pasquale Rotella has released a statement on the tragedy that happened this past weekend.
He provided a full update with more information including that the shooting took place at the overflow campground farthest from the venue and the incident occurred from an isolated situation that escalated. An officer-involved shooting then took place to neutralize the threat.
He also clarified why the festival continued during and after the incident citing that once law enforcement was sure there was no ongoing threat to safety, they requested the event continue to keep attendees away from the campground.
He said in the statement, “This tragedy has deeply affected me. As the organizer of this event, my intention has always been to bring people together and celebrate our shared love for music and community…This incident stands in stark contrast to everything we stand for—it goes against the spirit of unity, love, and respect that we strive to foster in our community.”
You can read Pasquale Rotella’s full statement regarding the shooting at The Gorge below:
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Updated on June 22 at 8AM
Pasquale Rotella has issued another statement mourning the loss of Josilyn Ruiz and Brandy Escamilla, wishing a smooth recovery to those injured, and thanking the staff and security on site for committing to a safe and calm festival environment despite the tragedy.
He also offered support and resources to witnesses of the event who were displaced from their campsite for over 24 hours while the investigation took place.
Finally, he thanked the headliners (attendees of Insomniac events) for their compassion towards each other at this time. They banded together to spread positivity and donate to the GoFundMe’s of the victims and those hurt in this time of crisis.
Many of those in the community have expressed interest in donating the value of their festival refund to the victims’ families. Pasquale’s team will be making their own donation and working with logistics to create a way for attendees to defer their refund to their GoFundMe’s.
Read the full statement from Pasquale Rotella, posted on June 21, here.
Featured image credit Rukes
