U.S. resident charged with aiding Tumbler Ridge shooter in alleged months-long conspiracy
The FBI alleges James Cody Bryant provided tactical advice, money and livestreaming help to the shooter before the 2026 attack that killed eight.
SEATTLE — A Washington state resident has been arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit murder for allegedly encouraging and assisting the perpetrator of the 2026 Tumbler Ridge, B.C., mass shooting.
James Cody Bryant, 30, of Bellingham, Wash., appeared in U.S. District Court in Seattle on Tuesday after a criminal complaint alleged she provided tactical advice, money and technical help to shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar for months before the attack.
U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd called the school shooting “a horrific tragedy” made more disturbing because “a resident of Western Washington had a role in the attack and took steps, providing counsel, technical advice, and money to the shooter planning such a tragedy.”
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The FBI alleges Bryant and Van Rootselaar met online about three years ago on the video chat platform Omegle and communicated extensively on Discord.
“These conversations included discussions about weapons, theft of ammunition, incendiary device construction, target evaluation, logistics relating to livestreaming the attack, and final day-of co-ordination,” the 41-page criminal complaint alleged.
On Feb. 10, 2026, Van Rootselaar shot and killed her mother and 11-year-old half-brother at home before driving to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.
There, she killed four students and a 39-year-old educational assistant and wounded several others before dying by suicide. One of the injured, Maya Gebala, survived being shot in the head.
The complaint alleges Bryant agreed to record and broadcast a livestream of the murders and assisted with a test run on Jan. 4, 2026.
On the day of the attack, Van Rootselaar sent a photo of herself “prepared for the attack” and asked if the livestream was ready, to which Bryant responded, “Yeah.”
“I’m going now. Fr. Live. I shot them,” Van Rootselaar said after killing her family, the complaint alleged.
The 20-second livestream on Twitch showed Van Rootselaar in a vehicle with rifles, officials said. When Van Rootselaar, who did not know how to drive, struggled to start the car, Bryant advised her to hold the start button, enabling her to drive to the school.
Bryant also sent Van Rootselaar $14.33 via PayPal in January 2026 to buy a lighter for an explosive device, the complaint said.
“Bryant gave Van Rootselaar tactical advice regarding the carrying out of the attack, including that ‘wide open spaces’ are conducive to more casualties,” the document alleged.
The two discussed targets, with Bryant suggesting a grocery store or church would be better than a school, according to the complaint.
In November 2025, Van Rootselaar told Bryant she would not hurt children, writing, “Murder is bad enough. I don’t hurt animals, kids. Y’know. I’m not that bad but murder is one of the worst things.”
Bryant responded, “Yeah if you said you’d go to a school then I’d take issue more staunchly but luckily you’re an angel~you wouldn’t do that.”
The FBI says about six months before the shooting, Van Rootselaar told Bryant she had stolen guns and ammunition from her family’s gun safe and had convinced another person to buy ammunition.
Bryant told agents Van Rootselaar was fixated on mass shootings and watched past livestreamed attacks to learn from them.
Floyd said Bryant had the knowledge and ability to alert law enforcement but chose not to. “Instead, he encouraged and offered assistance to a murderer,” Floyd said.
B.C. RCMP Assistant Commissioner Elija Rain said the information shows “there’s ample opportunity for Bryant to change that course.”
He said reading the communications was “very tragic and emotionally disturbing.”
Rain said details about the weapons’ origins remain under a publication ban as the investigation continues.
Bryant’s case was held over to Oct. 13. A preliminary hearing is set for Oct. 20.
With files from The Canadian Press, Vancouver Sun and CBC News