What did James Kelly do? Army officer identified as the suspect behind wonderland shooting

On Saturday, June 17, army officer James Kelly allegedly shot seven people at the Beyond Wonderland electronic dance festival, killing two victims and injuring three others. Following the initial gunfire, Kelly was non-fatally shot by responding police officers. He was subsequently transported to the hospital, though authorities have not released the details of his injuries.

Trigger warning: This article concerns a mass shooting, the reader's discretion is advised

The Beyond Wonderland shooting is currently being probed by the Grant County Sheriff's Department. The investigation is in its early stages, and authorities have not yet disclosed the victim's name. The suspect's motives currently remain unknown.

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The timeline of the allegations against James Kelly

According to the News Tribune, 26-year-old James Kelly was formerly an Army Special Operations soldier stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Army records indicate his hometown is in Strongsville, Ohio, and he has never been deployed. James Kelly eventually became a Joint Fire Support Specialist (13F) assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment after enlisting in the army in 2021.

As reported by ABC Chicago, the incident occurred at approximately 8:30 pm at a camping area near the Gorge Amphitheater, where the electronic dance music festival was taking place. While the reason behind the shooting has yet to be determined, James Kelly is alleged to have fired several shots randomly into the crowd.

According to Grant County Sheriff's Office public information officer Kyle Foreman, the venue was not evacuated despite reports of an active shooter situation. Foreman added that a public alert system instead informed people to 'run, hide, or fight.'

"(The suspect) was, again, on the periphery of the property. Law enforcement had eyes on him, and they were able to keep him in that area. He wasn't moving toward the venue," Foreman said.

Yasmin Alvarez, a 30-year-old woman who was at the scene with her husband and a friend, described the harrowing moment when she discovered there was an active shooting. Alvarez said that she was informed by a woman in the area. Subsequently, Alvarez and her party ran for the exit of the venue.

U.S. Army Special Operations Command Lt. Col. Mike Burns addressed the allegations against the American soldier.

“First, the U.S. Army Special Operations Command extends our condolences to the victims and families of those affected by this act of violence. The command is aware of the allegations against Spc. James Kelly. We take all allegations seriously and are fully cooperating with the appropriate authorities," Burns said.

In the wake of the shooting, the team at Beyond Wonderland announced that Sunday's program had been canceled. The shooting is currently being investigated by the North Central Washington Special Investigation Unit, an independent oversight group.