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

SEATTLE — A U.S. district court judge in Seattle has denied bail to James Cody Bryant, who is charged with conspiring with the shooter in the Tumbler Ridge, B.C., mass killing.

Magistrate Judge Mary Alice Theiler ordered Bryant detained on Tuesday, agreeing with prosecutors that the 30-year-old posed a danger to the community and a flight risk.

Bryant, a resident of Bellingham, Wash., is charged with one count of conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country.

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Prosecutors allege Bryant encouraged and supported shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar in the months before the Feb. 10 attack, which left eight people dead.

"It does not get much more serious or dangerous for the community," Assistant United States attorney Todd Greenberg said in a memorandum filed Tuesday.

In her ruling, Judge Theiler described Bryant as having "serious mental health concerns" and substance abuse problems.

She said release would require constant supervision to prevent Bryant from accessing the internet, something she did not believe authorities could achieve.

Bryant, who appeared in court in prison greens, wept throughout the proceedings.

Prosecutors outlined several alleged actions in their detention request.

They said Bryant, in online conversations on Discord, agreed to livestream the attack, gave Van Rootselaar tactical advice on target locations and weapons, and sent $14.33 via PayPal to help purchase a lighter for an explosive device.

"Although $14.33 may not be a lot of money, it speaks volumes about the seriousness of the offense and the defendant's character," Greenberg said.

The memorandum states a livestream was initiated just before the attack but failed after about 20 seconds due to technical issues.

On Feb. 9, the day before the shooting, Van Rootselaar reportedly told Bryant she didn't want to carry out the shooting if she didn't "know for certain" someone would livestream it.

"I literally fixed my sleep schedule to help me stay up to be there after work," Bryant replied, according to the court documents.

Greenberg also argued Bryant had a "full understanding of how high the death toll could get" and was in a unique position to stop the attack.

"Anyone whose character allows them to help plan a mass shooting and then sits back and (literally) tries to watch as schoolchildren are murdered … is a danger to the community and should be detained pending trial," the prosecution memo said.

Bryant's public defenders, Gregory Murphy and Dennis Carroll, argued for her release, noting she uses she/her pronouns and goes by the name Melody.

They said Bryant has no criminal record, stable housing and employment at a McDonald's, and "strong community ties."

"She expressed horror at Van Rootselaar's crimes," the defence said in its submission, adding that Bryant voluntarily met with investigators.

The defence argued there is no evidence Bryant "initiated the planning or engaged in any violence" and that she "repeatedly tried to dissuade Van Rootselaar from committing mass murder."

They also questioned the timing of the arrest, which came seven months after Bryant was interviewed by the FBI in March.

"There is no reason to suspect that Ms. Bryant has chatted, or could chat, with another person planning another horrifying crime," the defence response said.

Judge Theiler emphasized the difficulty of designing enforceable release conditions given the case's reliance on internet communications.

She concluded the risks could not be reasonably addressed, ordering Bryant detained until further court order.

Nosy Mag reported in October that Bryant was charged with providing tactical advice, money and livestreaming help to the shooter before the attack.

With files from CityNews, CBC News and Global News