Oct. 7 (UPI) — Federal authorities have arrested and charged a 30-year-old Washington state resident on accusations of aiding a Canadian teenager in carrying out a school shooting in February, killing eight people, including five children.
FBI agents arrested James Cody Bryant on Tuesday, charging him with conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country, which is punishable by up to life in prison, the Justice Department said in a statement.
Authorities allege that Bryant, of Bellingham, Wash., provided 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar with advice, money and live-streaming support for her Feb. 10 attack on Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in Canada’s British Columbia.
On that day, Van Rootselaar shot and killed her 39-year-old mother and 11-year-old stepbrother at their home, before driving to the nearby school where she killed six more people, five students, ages 11 and 12, and a teacher. Twenty-five others were also wounded in the attack.
Van Rootselaar, a former student at the school, died by suicide at the scene.
According to the U.S. criminal complaint made public Tuesday, federal authorities allege that the pair met online three years ago, but they began communicating daily six months prior to the shooting. The court document, citing seized online communications, states they frequently discussed Van Rootselaar’s planned attack, including potential targets and how it would unfold.
Bryant is also alleged to have agreed with Van Rootselaar to live-stream and record her attack, including conducting a test-run of the online broadcast, and allegedly sent her $14.33 via PayPal to use to purchase a lighter to be affixed to an explosive device that she intended to detonate during the school shooting.
During a press conference on Tuesday unveiling the charges, federal authorities repeatedly stated that Bryant knew about the planned attack but did not inform law enforcement. The two explicitly discussed on Aug. 4, 2025, the possibility of Bryant tipping off police, according to the charging document.
“Could totally make a tip about me and get me in trouble,” Van Rootselaar allegedly told Bryant, who allegedly replied: “I could. I don’t want to honestly. I know I can like, save lives I guess but [I don’t know].”
Mike Herrington, special agent in charge of the FBI field office, told reporters during the press conference that Bryant allegedly agreed to live-stream the attack to maximize Van Rootselaar’s notoriety and that without his “misplaced loyalty and willingness to operate the live-stream, we don’t ultimately know if the shooter would have gone through with the crime” as Van Rootselaar was allegedly concerned that not enough people would watch.
Authorities also allege that Bryant aided Van Rootselaar once the shooting began.
After Van Rootselaar fatally shot her mother and stepbrother, Bryant allegedly confirmed that the online broadcast was live. During the conversation, Van Rootselaar told Bryant that she couldn’t start the family car.
“Turn the key til it sounds like its going enough then stop,” Bryant allegedly told Van Rootselaar, according to the charging document.
“It’s a push to start,” Van Rootselaar allegedly replied.
“Button? Hold it a lil maybe??” the court document alleges Bryant informed Van Rootselaar, who was able to successfully start the car and drive to the school.
During the press conference, Floyd said that the shooting was not ultimately live-streamed, that they attempted to broadcast the shooting but were not able to.
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