Crimeupdated 57m ago2 min read
U.S. Prosecutors Charge James Cody Bryant With Conspiracy In Tumbler Ridge School Shooting
James Cody Bryant, 30, Washington state resident, charged with conspiracy to murder persons abroad. He was arrested in Bellingham, Washington, in connection with the February Tumbler Ridge shooting.
Bryant charged in Canada plot
U.S. prosecutors charged 30-year-old James Cody Bryant, a resident of Washington state, with conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country in connection with the Tumbler Ridge school shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia. Acting US Attorney Neil Floyd said at a news conference in Seattle that Bryant had been in repeated contact with the shooter, offering advice, sending money, and even agreeing to livestream a horrific event.
Authorities said the February attack killed eight people, including six children, and it was carried out by Jessie Van Rootselaar, 18, at Van Rootselaar's home and at a secondary school in Tumbler Ridge. Reuters said Bryant was detained on Tuesday on a charge of conspiracy to murder people in a foreign country, and it said the live stream on Twitch was shut down after about 20 seconds.
Advice, money, and livestream
Federal prosecutors said Bryant agreed to record and broadcast a livestream of the attack in a way that would "maximise notoriety for the shooter," and FBI Special Agent in Charge Mike Herrington said the stream was online for only about 20 seconds and was viewed by one account. Herrington said, "Without Bryant's misplaced loyalty and willingness to operate the live stream, we don't ultimately know if the shooter would have gone through with the crime," and he alleged Bryant was fully aware of when the attack began.
The BBC said a 41-page federal complaint against Bryant includes photos and text messages authorities said were sent to and from Van Rootselaar, and it said the pair communicated daily on the app Discord in the six months before the mass shooting. KOMO said prosecutors alleged Bryant advised Van Rootselaar on keeping the plot secret by deleting messages and using virtual private networks, or VPNs, and it said Van Rootselaar used an improvised explosive device to damage the school before dying by suicide.
Court process and accountability
Magistrate Judge Brian Tsuchida told the court that Bryant doesn't have to answer any questions, and the U.S. requested Bryant be denied bail and detained.
A preliminary hearing is set for Oct. 20 at 1 p.m. PT, and a detention hearing will be held next Tuesday to determine if Bryant will get bail or remain in custody.
The 30-year-old faces a penalty of up to life in prison if found guilty, and Bryant was arrested in Washington state in connection with the February attack.
Acting US Attorney Neil Floyd called the event "a horrific tragedy for that small community and for all of Canada," and Canadian officials described the attack as one of the country’s worst mass shootings.