The incident occurred at an overflow campground near the Gorge Amphitheater on Saturday night, authorities said
Two people were killed and three others were injured — including the suspect — in an officer-involved shooting at a popular amphitheater in Washington State, authorities said.
The shooting occurred at approximately 8:25 p.m. on Saturday night at an overflow campground near the Gorge Amphitheater, which is located about 150 miles east of Seattle, according to the North Central Washington Special Investigation Unit (NCWSIU), an independent oversight group investigating the incident.
A male began shooting “randomly” into a crowd gathered a few hundred yards from the amphitheater, where thousands of fans were attending the Beyond Wonderland electronic music festival, Kyle Foreman, a public information officer with the Grant County Sheriff’s Office said at a news conference.
“The shooter then walked away from where the incident happened,” Foreman said, according to the Yakima Herald, and added that “he continued to randomly shoot into the crowd.”
Police confronted the gunman and exchanged fire with the man, who was injured and taken to the hospital. Police later took him into custody, Foreman said. His identity has not been publicly released at this time.
“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,” Foreman said.
Authorities have notified the victims’ family members, the sheriff’s office said, but their identities have not yet been publicly released.
A representative from the NCWSIU did not immediately return request for further details about the incident.
While the concert continued following the shooting, organizers for Beyond Wonderland canceled day 2 of the festival, according to social media posts.
“We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the local authorities and staff who acted quickly to manage the situation,” organizers wrote. “Our heartfelt thoughts and condolences go out to the family, friends, and all those affected by this tragic event.”