Participants at a music festival in the United States, this Saturday. Amy Harris (Amy Harris / Invision / AP)
Two people died in a new shooting in the United States on Saturday evening. During celebrations for an electronic music festival, a subject opened fire in the warehouse of The Gorge, an amphitheater in Washington state. The gunman was arrested by authorities, who reported that three other people were injured in the incident, including the person responsible for the events. The Grant County Sheriff’s Office issued an urgent alert minutes before the evening news (US West Time). “Active shooter at Gorge Amphitheater,” authorities warned, urging Beyond Wonderland festival-goers to run, seek refuge in a safe place, or face the shooter if they encounter him. With a capacity for 27,000 people, the concert venue is one of the most popular on the US Pacific coast.
Kyle Foreman, the spokesman for the sheriff’s office, reported at a news conference that the incident happened around 8:23 p.m. Several of those present called 911 at the time and reported hearing gunshots. The detainee opened fire and then tried to flee the area, which is several meters in the opposite direction from the concert venue. “The suspect shot the crowd indiscriminately to kill,” Foreman said at a news conference at the scene.
George Shooting UPDATE: 2 confirmed deaths. Live press update via FB at 11:30pm PST.
—Grant County Sheriff (@GrantCoSheriff) June 18, 2023
Thirty minutes after the alarm went off telling concert-goers to take refuge, the gunman was arrested by police officers who tracked him down in the crowd without the music stopping. He is injured and is in custody. The events, Foreman explained, happened at one of the campsites and not where the electronic music festival is taking place, which continues as planned on Saturday night and this Sunday. No further details about the deceased or the suspect have been released at this time. It was also not specified what type of weapon it was and what the state of health of the three injured was. New dangers for the population are excluded.
The gorge is not easily accessible. It is located in central Washington state, about two and a half hours east of Seattle, the region’s largest city. It is one of the most beautiful concert venues in the United States as the stage is surrounded by the Columbia River and part of the Cascadia Mountains. This experience prompts many visitors to cultural events to camp in one of the nearby fields. Others prefer to seek lodging in the town of Wenatchee, 50 miles north.
In summer, The Gorge is a popular destination for music fans. Last weekend the legendary Joni Mitchell, 79, who suffered from a brain aneurysm that prevented her from performing, performed alongside Brandi Carlile. The show, which featured several guests celebrating Mitchell’s music for three hours, caused a stir and sold out.
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Washington last April became the 10th state in the country to ban sales of the AR-15 and AK-47 and other high-powered rifles that have been at the center of the regulatory debate in the United States. The law, signed into law by Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee, also restricts access to semi-automatic weapons and high-capacity magazines. For years, activists calling for stricter gun laws have called for such vetoes to reduce casualties in mass shootings. California, Delaware, Washington DC, Illinois, New York and Massachusetts are some of the regions that have similar laws. President Joe Biden has asked Congress to pass this ban to reduce the gun violence that is bleeding the country dry. However, most Republican lawmakers oppose his proposal.
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