GEORGE, Wash. — Electronic dance music festival Beyond Wonderland returns to The Gorge Amphitheater this weekend. It comes one year after a gunman wreaked havoc on its campground, killing two Seattle nurses and hurting many others.
The tragedy at last year's event traumatized festival attendees and led to the two-day festival being cut short.
"I, personally, am not ready to go back," said Jessi Luethe, who attended last year's Beyond Wonderland at The Gorge.
Security is a top focus at this year's festival, and Luethe told KING 5 she is wondering what changes they are going to make.
"I just hope that it goes smoother for them, that no incidents happen," she said.
On this year’s festival website, organizers said that due to increased security measures, wait times to enter the campgrounds may be up to three hours, and guests should arrive early.
Live Nation, its subsidiary and the security companies who worked the event have been sued for wrongful death by the families of the victims.
"Every car that goes to the campground, they search it, and not just one person, like multiple people," said festivalgoer Molly Carman.
Carman attended Beyond Wonderland last year but has also attended two Live Nation events at The Gorge since then. She said she noticed stricter security at campground entrances.
"They've been great," she said. "They're very thorough."
Luethe hopes that in the case of another emergency, Live Nation does a better job of communicating with attendees.
"Nobody in my friend's group knew anything was happening," she said. "They just got a text from Live Nation that said there was a situation.”
The victims in last year's shooting at the festival were nurses in their 20s and engaged to be married.
Josilyn Ruiz and Brandy Escamilla will live forever in the hearts of EDM fans, said Carman and Luethe.
"Definitely like a deep kind of mourning," said Carman.
Luethe said, “Two beautiful girls that were so young, fell in love in their relationship, and just, they were taken too soon.”
Ruiz and Escamilla were ready to have a fun weekend roughly one year ago this week at The Gorge Amphitheatre when they were shot and killed outside the Beyond Wonderland festival at the campground.
James Kelly is accused in their deaths. He was an active member of the military at the time and allegedly had taken mushrooms before the attack. Several others were injured.
"Festivals are supposed to be your safe place, and going home and spending time with people that mutually feel the same way. No judgment, just love," said Luethe.
Luethe hopes they acknowledge the loss of life at this weekend's upcoming rave.
"The least of what they could do is a moment of silence for everybody," she said.
Carman agreed.
"I think that'd be really, really, really special," she said.
Kelly's next court hearing is on Aug. 5.