The parents of Brandy Escamilla and Josilyn Ruiz, killed in Saturday’s mass shooting, tell their daughters’ love story inspired their Latino Catholic families
The women were months away from a trip to Greece with family — one of the many places the engaged couple was considering for a wedding venue. Instead, Brandy Escamilla, 29, and Josilyn Ruiz, 26, were killed Saturday night in a mass shooting outside a concert venue in Washington State.
In their first interview with media since the shooting, which killed their daughters and injured three others, Brandy’s parents, Blanca and Eddie Escamilla, and Josilyn’s parents, Anita and John Ruiz, gathered by Zoom Wednesday night to speak of their daughters’ love story.
In the throes of grief, the parents reminisced together – laughing, crying and holding one another – as they recalled their daughters meeting in high school, coming out as gay in their Latino Catholic households and living an 11-year love story cut short by their murders Saturday night. Brandy and Josilyn – inseparable in life – died as they lived: together, their parents tell .
“They were meant to be together forever,” Blanca, Brandy’s mother said, as Josilyn’s mother nodded. “They never did anything without each other – it was unique.”
“They taught us how to love unconditionally,” Anita said, as her husband leaned on her shoulder.
“And how to have fun,” John added. “Everywhere they went, they just made friends everywhere. They touched everyone.”
The women met at Brandy’s high school softball game and grew up to become nurses, working exhausting hours through the pandemic. They loved to snowboard and travel and had a penchant for fine dining. Challenging each other to pursue new things, in the last few months, Josilyn had taken up acting classes and begun learning Spanish, while Brandy had joined a softball league after years away from the sport.
The couple — who moved from Los Angeles County, where both sets of parents reside — to Seattle in 2021, were also discussing another move. Ready for a change after the pandemic, the couple had considered traveling to an impoverished country and lending medical aid there, the parents said.
In 2022, the women proposed to each other. First, Brandy got down on one knee during a ski trip in Canada, and then six months later, Josilyn returned the question with close friends in Seattle. Brandy’s mother helped the women choose each other’s rings. Josilyn’s mother already called Brandy “mija” – “my daughter” in Spanish.
“There were a lot of things we still wanted to see, a lot of things we still wanted to say,” John said. “As a father…” he stopped himself and addressed Brandy’s father. “Eddie, as fathers, we hurt. We weren’t there to protect our girls.”
“No we weren’t,” Eddie nodded, recalling that he had always worried over the dangers of crowded concert halls, instructing his daughter about safety measures to avoid being trampled. “The only thing I didn’t prepare her for was how to dodge a bullet. I never told her that.” His voice broke, and he rubbed his eyes. His wife leaned over, kissed his shoulder and squeezed his arm.
Eddie continued: “It’s so hard to accept the fact that you invest so much time and love in your little ones – so they will become good people, so they will become who they want to be professionally – and then just one day from another, they are taken from you. It’s just hard to accept, knowing the compassionate people they were. They didn’t deserve to die like that.”
The women were avid about gay rights, their parents said, noting that Josilyn had founded a Gay Straight Alliance at her Catholic college. The couple – who had not yet settled on a location for their wedding – were united on the significance and purpose of their marriage.
“Brandy wanted all the kids in the family present,” her mother, Blanca, said. “So they could see them getting married – to see that if they wanted that, too, it was okay.”
“Not to be ashamed,” Eddie added.
“She wanted all the kids to see it’s okay to love another girl,” Blanca said.
Now, instead of planning a wedding, the parents are preparing for their daughters’ funerals. (The Escamillas and Ruizes are raising money on GoFundMe to offset funeral and moving costs associated with bringing the couple’s belongings back to California.) Among the things coming home to the Escamillas: what Blanca calls her “grand-gato” Otis, a stray cat that the couple rescued.
The parents said they are determined that their daughters’ love story will not end with their deaths. The couple had planned to travel to Italy and Greece with Josilyn’s parents this fall.
“We’re still going to do our Europe trip,” Anita said. Then, directing her words to the Escamillas: “And, family, you should go with us. Because life is short, and we should celebrate them.”
James M. Kelly, 26, an active duty member of the U.S. Army, has been arrested and charged with their murders. He has not yet entered a plea to the charges against him.)