US arrest announced in connection with Canada’s Tumbler Ridge school shooting

US Man Charged Over Alleged Role in Tumbler Ridge School Shooting

Earthguardiansonline.com – A Washington state resident has been taken into custody in the United States over allegations that he helped support planning for the deadly February attack at a secondary school in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia.

Federal authorities identified the suspect as James Cody Bryant, 30, of Washington state. He was arrested Tuesday morning in Bellingham and faces a charge of conspiracy to murder people in a foreign country. Bryant was expected to make an initial court appearance Tuesday afternoon in Seattle.

The arrest marks the first public indication that someone other than the shooter may have been involved in preparations for the massacre, which killed eight people, including six children, and injured dozens more. The Tumbler Ridge attack was Canada’s worst school shooting in decades.

Alleged online relationship

Investigators say Bryant had maintained repeated contact with Jesse Van Rootselaar, the 18-year-old Canadian attacker, in the period before the shooting. The two reportedly met through the video-chat site Omegle roughly three years before the attack and later communicated through Discord.

Van Rootselaar died during the shooting. Authorities in Canada and the United States have described both Van Rootselaar and Bryant as trans women, though officials used inconsistent pronouns while discussing the case during a Seattle news conference.

Neil Floyd, acting US attorney for the Western District of Washington, said Bryant allegedly gave Van Rootselaar advice, sent money and agreed to stream the attack on Twitch.

“Bryant was in repeated contact with” Van Rootselaar, “offering advice, sending money and even agreeing to live stream the horrific event” on Twitch.

Floyd said the financial help totaled slightly more than $100. Investigators believe the money was mainly used to obtain a lighter and a pair of shoes Van Rootselaar wanted to wear during the attack.

Authorities also allege that the pair discussed shipping weapons to Canada. Bryant ultimately declined to do that, court filings state, because he was uncomfortable sending weapons.

Chats described in court filing

An affidavit included with the criminal complaint contains excerpts from alleged Discord conversations between the two. In one exchange, Van Rootselaar reportedly said she hoped to avoid targeting a school, while also saying there were many reasons it seemed “ideal.” Bryant allegedly suggested that a hotel could be a suitable target.

FBI agent Mike Harrington said the language in the exchanges stood out because of its seemingly ordinary tone while discussing violence against innocent people.

“I read a lot of court documents, including some that discuss incredibly heinous acts of violence, but this complaint was particularly difficult to read,” Harrington said. “In part because of the casual tone these two individuals used when discussing the mass taking of innocent lives that was being planned.”

The allegations also extend to the period immediately before the school attack. After Van Rootselaar killed two family members, Bryant allegedly tried to help troubleshoot a vehicle that would not start as the attacker was heading toward the school.

Harrington said Bryant is accused of continuing to support the shooter rather than attempting to stop the plan or alert authorities.

“As further alleged, instead of de-escalating or reporting to law enforcement, Bryant continued to enable the shooter over the months they discussed these plans,” Harrington said.

He added that Bryant is accused of providing money, technical guidance and help obtaining items connected to the shooting, as well as agreeing to capture and distribute a livestream intended to increase attention around the attacker.

Cross-border investigation

The investigation involved law enforcement agencies on both sides of the border. Royal Canadian Mounted Police Assistant Commissioner Elija Rain said Canadian investigators contacted the US Department of Homeland Security shortly after the shooting after receiving information from one of the online platforms used by Van Rootselaar.

The case underscores how violent plots can develop across jurisdictions through online services, leaving investigators to trace communications, financial transfers and digital activity that may span countries. The charge filed against Bryant reflects the allegation that actions taken in the United States were connected to planned killings in Canada.

At the time of the announcement, it was not clear whether Bryant had retained a lawyer to respond to the allegations. A criminal charge is an accusation, and prosecutors must prove the case in court.

Earlier scrutiny of technology companies

The Tumbler Ridge shooting had already prompted wider questions about online platforms and their responsibilities when users discuss or prepare for violence. In April, seven victim families filed a lawsuit against OpenAI after it emerged that Van Rootselaar had used ChatGPT while planning the attack.

Shortly before that lawsuit was filed, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman apologized to the Tumbler Ridge community for not notifying law enforcement after Van Rootselaar’s account was banned.

The newly announced US arrest adds another dimension to the continuing investigation: whether an online contact did more than observe warning signs and instead played an active role in enabling the attack. Authorities have not suggested that Bryant was present in Canada when the shooting occurred, but the allegations describe a lengthy digital connection that investigators say continued through the final stages of the plan.

Further court proceedings are expected as federal prosecutors pursue the case in Seattle. The investigation into the attack and the online interactions surrounding it remains ongoing.