2 killed as shooter fires randomly into crowd near Beyond Wonderland EDM festival

GEORGE, Wash. (AP) — Two people were killed when a shooter began firing “randomly” into a crowd at campground that was hosting people attending an electronic dance music festival on Saturday night, police said.

Three people were wounded, including the alleged shooter.

For related news, see: At least 9 dead, dozens injured from mass shootings over the weekend

Authorities received the first report of the shooting shortly before 8:30 p.m. at the camping area a few hundred yards from the Gorge Amphitheater, where thousands of people were attending the Beyond Wonderland festival, said Kyle Foreman, public information officer with the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.

The amphitheater is on the Columbia River in central Washington about 40 miles northeast of Yakima.

After the initial shots, the shooter started moving through the campground and “continued to shoot randomly into the crowd” until he was eventually confronted by police and taken into custody, Foreman said.

The suspect was shot in the confrontation with police and was hospitalized, Foreman said.

A public alert had advised people that there was an active shooter in the area and to “run, hide or fight,” but Foreman said there was no effort to evacuate the festival. The festival continued following the shooting and did not end until early Sunday. Sunday’s festival events were canceled.

“He 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.

A tweet from the festival’s organizers around 10 p.m. Saturday said: “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.”

Concert organizers described the shooting site as an “overflow camping area,” and most people who were staying there were likely at the concert when the shooting occurred, Foreman said.

Details on the victims would be released at a later time, Foreman said.

An independent oversight group, the North Central Washington Special Investigation Unit, is investigating the shooting.

Started in 2010, Beyond Wonderland has had 18 festivals in Washington and California, including three at Shoreline Amphitheater, in Mountain View.

The weekend’s sold-out Gorge show, for ages 18 and older, advertised a two-day lineup of almost 60 performers, including Marshmello, Subtronics, Kaskade and Kx5.