The parents of Brandy Escamilla and Josilyn Ruiz, who died in a mass shooting at a Washington concert, say the couple was "meant to be together forever."
According to a Facebook post by the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, the couple was killed on June 17, 2023, in a campground near the Gorge Amphitheater, where the Beyond Wonderland music festival was held.
A 26-year-old suspect allegedly opened fire, striking the couple as they walked through the campground, and injuring three others. According to the Associated Press, the suspect has been charged with murder and has not yet entered a plea.
Brandy Escamilla's parents, Blanca and Eddie Escamilla, and Josilyn Ruiz's parents, Anita and John Ruiz, opened up about their daughters in a joint interview with People via Zoom.
“Everywhere they went, they just made friends everywhere," said John Ruiz. "They touched everyone.”
“They never did anything without each other — it was unique," added Blanca Escamilla.
“They taught us how to love unconditionally,” said Anita Ruiz.
The parents said that the the Seattle-based couple met at a high school softball game and chose mirroring careers in nursing. They shared a dream to provide medical care in developing countries
According to People, Josilyn Ruiz and Brandy Escamilla got engaged in 2022 — Brandy proposed during a Canadian ski trip and Josilyn followed suit six months later in Seattle.
Both families raised their daughters in Catholic homes; Josilyn Ruiz went on to create a Gay Straight Alliance at her college, reported People. Blanca Escamilla told the outlet that her daughter Brandy Escamilla wanted the children in their family to witness their love.
"Not to be ashamed,” explained Eddie Escamilla.
Josilyn Ruiz's little sister Julia Ruiz told Rolling Stone that she was an “inspiration.”
“She taught me self-love, tough love, and her relationship with Brandy showed me the greatest love,” Julia Ruiz told the outlet. “We both left home to pursue work and school in other states and although we were almost 3,000 miles away from each other, she never failed to check in on me every few days and send me random ‘love you’ texts and silly selfies that always made my day.”
Josilyn Ruiz's parents had planned a fall trip to Greece and Italy with their daughter and Brandy. They are committed to that trip — and have invited Blanca and Eddie Escamilla to join them.
"Because life is short, and we should celebrate them,” Anita Ruiz's said.
An attorney for the Ruiz and Escamilla families told TODAY.com in an emailed statement that they are seeking answers as to how this happened and what role Live Nation, which operates the amphitheater and campgrounds, played in ensuring the safety of attendees.
“The families of the victims are suffering intensely. They are not litigious people, and they are not after money, but they do want to know why this happened and how it can be prevented in the future. While there is much to learn, we do know that Live Nation owns and operates the Gorge — both the amphitheater and the campgrounds. To stay at the campgrounds, attendees must first buy a ticket to the show, and then pay Live Nation even more to stay at the campground. The show and camping experience offered by Live Nation is one and the same — and it is a very expensive experience. Live Nation has a legal duty to its paying guests to keep them safe. Live Nation states on the campground website that no guns are allowed. So the question is, what do they do to keep guns out of their paid venue? I know I always get searched when I go to a concert.”
TODAY.com reached out to Live Nation for comment but did not hear back by the time of publication.