Washington State Man Arrested in Alleged Connection to Tumbler Ridge School Attack
Qwenews.com – US federal authorities have taken a Washington state man into custody over allegations that he helped support the person responsible for the deadly February shooting at a secondary school in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia.
James Cody Bryant, 30, was arrested Tuesday morning in Bellingham, Washington, the US Justice Department announced. He faces a charge of conspiracy to murder people in a foreign country and was expected to make an initial court appearance Tuesday afternoon in Seattle.
The February attack in the small northeastern British Columbia community was Canada’s deadliest school shooting in decades. Eight people were killed and dozens more were injured. The shooting suspect, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, died during the incident.
Allegations of online support
Investigators allege Bryant had extensive online contact with Van Rootselaar in the period leading up to the attack. The two reportedly met on Omegle, a video-chatting platform, about three years before the shooting and developed an online friendship.
Neil Floyd, acting US attorney for the Western District of Washington, said Bryant allegedly offered guidance, transferred money and agreed to livestream the attack through 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 support totaled slightly more than $100. Investigators say the money was mainly intended to help Van Rootselaar buy a lighter and shoes the shooter wanted to wear during the attack.
Van Rootselaar “wanted to have [the items] when she conducted this killing spree.”
Authorities also allege the pair discussed having weapons sent to Van Rootselaar. That plan was not carried out because Bryant was allegedly uneasy about sending firearms or other weapons across the border.
Contact allegedly continued during the attack
The alleged support went beyond discussions that took place before the shooting, authorities said. After Van Rootselaar killed two family members, Bryant allegedly gave advice about getting a car running after it would not start on the way to the school.
Federal investigators characterize the contact as an effort to assist and amplify the planned violence rather than intervene. FBI agent Mike Harrington said Bryant is accused of continuing the communication despite the escalating danger.
“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.”
“In addition to providing money, technical advice and particular items to be used in the shooting, Bryant agreed to record a live stream feed of the attack and broadcast it in a way that would maximize notoriety for the shooter.”
The accusations mark the first public indication that another person may have been involved in planning or facilitating the massacre. The criminal charge remains an allegation, and prosecutors will have to prove the case in court.
Cross-border investigation
Canadian investigators began working with US officials soon after the shooting. Royal Canadian Mounted Police Assistant Commissioner Elija Rain said information connected to one of the online platforms used by the shooter prompted Canadian authorities to contact the US Department of Homeland Security.
The case highlights how violent plots can involve people, platforms and communications spread across national borders. Digital interactions may occur far from the location of an attack, but investigators can still trace messages, payments and online activity as they examine possible accomplices.
US and Canadian officials have identified Bryant and Van Rootselaar as trans women, although pronouns used by officials during the Seattle news conference were inconsistent. There was no immediate confirmation that Bryant had retained legal counsel.
Questions surrounding technology platforms
The Tumbler Ridge shooting has also intensified scrutiny of online services and the role they may play when users express or develop violent plans. Seven families of victims filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April after information emerged that Van Rootselaar had used ChatGPT while planning the attack.
In the week before that lawsuit was filed, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman apologized to the Tumbler Ridge community for the company’s failure to alert law enforcement after Van Rootselaar’s account was banned.
Those developments have raised broader questions about when online platforms should identify threats, preserve relevant records and notify authorities. The allegations against Bryant add another dimension: whether online contacts who provide encouragement, money, practical help or publicity assistance can bear criminal responsibility for violence carried out by someone else.
For the Tumbler Ridge community, the arrest represents a new stage in the investigation into an attack that devastated families, students and staff. Authorities have not indicated whether additional arrests are expected as the cross-border inquiry continues.
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