Alleged Tumbler Ridge co-conspirator pleads not guilty, trial set for December

Explainer

The American accused of conspiring to carry out the February mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., has pleaded not guilty in a Seattle court.

James Cody Bryant, 30, entered the plea at an arraignment hearing on Thursday.

READ MORE: U.S. court denies bail to alleged Tumbler Ridge shooting co-conspirator

READ MORE: U.S. resident charged with aiding Tumbler Ridge shooter in alleged months-long conspiracy

Bryant, whose lawyers say goes by the name Melody and uses she/her pronouns, is charged with conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country.

A lawyer entered the not guilty plea on Bryant's behalf, according to CBC News.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Greenberg read the charge in court.

Bryant was escorted in by a U.S. court marshal, hands clasped together, and gave a slight smile and nod to two friends sitting in the gallery.

What are the specific allegations against Bryant?

The criminal complaint alleges Bryant colluded with shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar online, helping set up an attempted livestream of the murders.

It accuses Bryant of agreeing to record a livestream of "the planned murders and post it over the internet for the public to view," then testing the quality of the livestream and assuring the shooter it "looks solid," according to the FBI's 41-page complaint.

Bryant also allegedly advised 18-year-old Van Rootselaar on where to carry out the attack, suggesting that "hallways" provide "a lot of ways people can escape. Corners to turn. Wide open spaces mean numbers."

The logs show Bryant also said the shooter "should have a handgun," and reassured her she had "solid plans."

The criminal complaint further accuses Bryant of wiring money to the shooter, which the shooter used to buy shoes to wear during the killing spree, and to purchase a lighter she intended to use for an improvised explosive device.

On the day of the shooting, the FBI alleges that after the shooter disclosed she had killed her mother and half-brother, Bryant walked her through how to start a car, so she could get to the school.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s complaint says that on Feb. 10, Van Rootselaar told Bryant she had dressed for the mass shooting.

The document shows a photo of someone from their shoulders down, holding a rifle and wearing black fishnet stockings and a black miniskirt.

“A few moments later, Van Rootselaar told Bryant that she went live with the stream and had just killed her family members at their residence,” the complaint said.

Van Rootselaar allegedly told Bryant, “I’m going now. (for real). Live. I shot them,” after killing her mother and brother at their home.

What happened during the Tumbler Ridge shooting?

On Feb. 10, Jesse Van Rootselaar, 18, shot and killed her mother Jennifer Strang, 39, and half-brother Emmett Jacobs, 11, in their home.

She then drove to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and gunned down Abel Mwansa, 12, Zoey Benoit, 12, Ezekiel Schofield, 13, Kylie Smith, 12, Ticaria Lampert, 12, and educational assistant Shannda Aviugana-Durand, 29.

Van Rootselaar then fatally shot herself as police closed in.

An RCMP investigation revealed the shooter had started a livestream on the social media platform Twitch as she was headed to the school. The stream lasted just 20 seconds and showed her sitting in a vehicle with a long gun and rifle in her lap.

It was watched by one account, which belonged to Bryant, according to the FBI.

What happens next in the case?

Bryant's trial is scheduled to begin on Dec. 21 before U.S. District Judge Kymberly K. Evanson in Seattle.

The charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Magistrate Judge Michelle Peterson presided over Thursday’s arraignment hearing, where Bryant was told she faces penalties of up to life in prison and US$25,000 in fines.

Bryant, who appeared in court in a tan prison jumpsuit and dark-framed glasses with her hair down to her waist, has been denied bail. Nosy Mag reported in October that a judge ruled the accused posed a danger and a flight risk.

The accusations against Bryant remain unproven.

How did Bryant and the shooter connect?

The FBI says Bryant and Van Rootselaar met three years ago on the now defunct chat-roulette style website Omegle.

They kept in touch sporadically during the first year until the shooter was "institutionalized" after being deemed a danger to herself, according to the criminal complaint.

The two reconnected when she got out, but the shooter was "institutionalized" a second time after setting her room on fire, the complaint says.

Bryant told the FBI the shooter became increasingly angry and suicidal, often speaking "about planning to use guns to murder her family members and others because she felt she had been mistreated."

Bryant said they never met in person.

Bryant and the shooter had been chatting on a messaging app called Discord for months. When Mounties learned Bryant was a resident of Bellingham, Wash., they notified the FBI.

A grand jury indicted Bryant last week.

With files from The Canadian Press, CityNews and CBC News