A 30-year-old American man has been arrested in connection with the deadly school shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, earlier this year.
James Cody Bryant, 30, of Bellingham, Washington, was charged today with conspiracy to murder people in a foreign country. Prosecutors allege he provided tactical advice, money and technical assistance before agreeing to help the shooter livestream the attack.
The arrest adds a new development to an investigation launched after eight people were killed by 18-year-old transgender shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar during the February 10 massacre in the small British Columbia community.
According to prosecutors, Bryant and Van Rootselaar began conspiring through Discord in August 2025, about six months before the shooting. Authorities say their online conversations evolved into plans to kill multiple people in Canada.
The criminal complaint alleges that Bryant helped test equipment for a planned livestream, agreed to record and broadcast the attack, offered tactical guidance and sent Van Rootselaar money for items linked to the plot.
He also allegedly advised her on ways to hide the plan, including deleting messages and using virtual private networks.
Most disturbingly, prosecutors allege that Bryant confirmed he was receiving the livestream shortly before the attack began.
The complaint further alleges that Bryant advised Van Rootselaar on how to increase the number of victims and recommended firearms. Prosecutors say he also sent money to help her buy a lighter intended for use in making an explosive device.
James ‘Cody’ Bryant, 30, of Bellingham, Washington, was arrested Tuesday after federal prosecutors accused him of extensive communications with Jesse Van Rootselaar in the months before the February 10 attack, which left eight victims dead and 25 others wounded
Jesse Van Rootselaar, 18, opened fire in the library at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia on February 10, killing one teacher and five students
According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, Bryant and Van Rootselaar began communicating through Discord by August 2025 about a plan to kill multiple people in Canada
However, the complaint portrays their relationship as more complicated than a straightforward partnership.
Federal law enforcement officials say the pair first met three years ago on Omegle, a chat website, and lost contact twice while Van Rootselaar was receiving treatment at a mental health facility.
They exchanged messages daily on Discord during the six months before the mass shooting. Their discussions included the possibility of sending 3D-printed weapons across the US-Canada border.
Text messages appear to indicate that Bryant initially proposed targeting a shopping center rather than a school.
Authorities allege that Bryant at times attempted to persuade Van Rootselaar to abandon the attack.
Even so, prosecutors say he never contacted police and eventually agreed to help with the livestream, telling her he would not “snitch.”
Van Rootselaar’s violent rampage began at a residence, where her mother and 11-year-old stepbrother were killed.
She then drove to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and opened fire, killing five children—each aged 12 or 13—and 39-year-old educational assistant Shannda Aviugana-Durand.
The five students were Abel Mwansa, Ezekiel Schofield, Kylie Smith, Zoey Benoit and Ticaria Lampert.
The other two victims, 39-year-old Jennifer Jacobs and her 11-year-old son, Emmett Jacobs, were killed at the residence.
The eight victims were the people killed in the heinous attack. Van Rootselaar also died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, bringing the total number of deaths to nine.
Police say Van Rootselaar used an improvised explosive device at the school, fired through locked classroom doors and exchanged gunfire with officers before her death.
Van Rootselaar seen pictured happily gripping a rifle
Prosecutors allege Bryant allegedly provided tactical advice, recommended firearms, supplied money for items connected to the planned attack and helped Van Rootselaar test equipment for a livestream that was intended to broadcast the massacre
He also allegedly advised her on concealing the plot, including deleting messages and using virtual private networks to hide online activity as well as advising her on constructing a makeshift explosive device
On February 10, Van Rootselaar first killed her mother and 11-year-old stepbrother at a family residence in Tumbler Ridge, a remote community in northeastern British Columbia. She then drove toward Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. Police say she opened fire at the school, killing five children and an educational assistant.
Bryant’s case is unusual because the alleged conspiracy involved a planned crime in another country. He faces a federal charge of conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country, an offense that carries a potential sentence of up to life in prison
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)’s investigation has continued for months, with investigators examining physical evidence, electronic devices and online accounts.
By July, Mounties said they had reviewed more than 100 statements from students, educators and first responders and were working with the FBI on digital forensic analysis. They also said the possibility of further charges had not been ruled out.
Previously released court documents have provided further insight into the investigation. An RCMP investigator described Van Rootselaar as having ‘mental health problems’ and being ‘fascinated by firearms,’ while investigators traced her online activity and seized electronic devices.
The digital evidence has become increasingly significant. Investigators have examined social-media accounts and other online communications as they attempted to understand how the attack was planned and whether anyone else knew about it.
Tuesday’s case now alleges that Bryant was one such person – and that the relationship went substantially further than simply knowing an attack was being contemplated.
Prosecutors say Bryant was communicating with Van Rootselaar as she prepared for the killings and even helped her overcome a practical problem immediately before she travelled to the school.
According to the complaint, after killing her relatives, Van Rootselaar was unable to start a family vehicle. Bryant allegedly advised her on getting it running so she could continue to the school.
The case is now being investigated on both sides of the border.
The FBI worked with Homeland Security Investigations and the RCMP, with American prosecutors bringing the conspiracy charge because the alleged planning occurred partly in Washington while the intended killings were in Canada. The charge carries a potential sentence of up to life in prison.
Bryant’s arrest comes as Tumbler Ridge continues to deal with the aftermath of the massacre. The original secondary school has not returned to normal operation, and the community has faced an ongoing need for mental-health and victim-support services.
Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Seattle, said no investigation can bring the eight people killed to their families but he stated both US and Canadian officials are committed to bringing justice and holding the perpetrators accountable.
He praised the RCMP for their assistance throughout the investigation that has led to the charges announced today.
The investigation has also generated separate legal battles over what authorities and technology companies knew before the shooting, including litigation involving OpenAI over allegations concerning Van Rootselaar’s use of ChatGPT.
The company said it didn’t alert authorities at the time because the chats did not meet the threshold of what it deems a credible or imminent plan for serious harm to others.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, however, previously apologized to the victims’ families.
‘I am deeply sorry that we did not alert law enforcement,’ Altman wrote in an open letter in April.
For investigators, however, the immediate question is now whether the alleged online relationship between Bryant and Van Rootselaar amounted to a criminal conspiracy.
Our News Outlet has reached out to Bryant’s mother for comment.
