Charges in Washington

Federal prosecutors in the United States have arrested and charged 30-year-old James Cody Bryant in Washington state for allegedly aiding the perpetrator of a deadly school shooting in Canada earlier this year. Bryant faces one count of conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country, a federal charge carrying a maximum penalty of life in prison. Acting US Attorney for the Western District of Washington Neil Floyd announced the indictment during a news conference in Seattle following the arrest on Tuesday, 6 October 2026. Authorities stated that Bryant maintained regular digital contact with the shooter, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, providing logistical guidance and monetary support before the attack.

Floyd detailed Bryant's decision not to notify police despite possessing knowledge of the impending violence.

“James Cody Bryant had the information and ability to alert law enforcement and even discussed that possibility with the shooter, but he chose not to, and he encouraged and offered assistance to a murderer.”

Online coordination and livestream

According to investigators, Bryant and Van Rootselaar first connected on the platform Omegle and continued their communications on Discord for six months preceding the 10 February attack. During those exchanges, Bryant sent funds to purchase items for the shooting, including footwear and a lighter intended for constructing an explosive device. Court filings state that Bryant also gave Van Rootselaar driving instructions on how to start and operate a vehicle to reach Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.

Federal officials said Bryant agreed to broadcast a video feed of the shooting to generate internet attention, as Van Rootselaar had few social media followers. The resulting livestream on Twitch remained active for approximately 20 seconds before being taken down, and records indicate it was viewed by a single account linked to Bryant. Mike Herrington, the FBI special agent in charge in Seattle, pointed to Bryant's role in enabling the massacre.

“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.”

The Tumbler Ridge attack

The mass shooting occurred in Tumbler Ridge, a settlement of roughly 2,300 to 2,400 people in northeastern British Columbia. Van Rootselaar shot and killed her mother and 11-year-old stepbrother at their residence before traveling to the secondary school. At the school, Van Rootselaar killed an educator and five young students, and wounded between 25 and 27 people, depending on initial source counts, before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Canadian police noted that Van Rootselaar had a recorded history of mental health visits to the family residence prior to the shooting.

Legal fallout and technology scrutiny

The criminal proceedings against Bryant follow separate legal actions connected to the February shooting. In September 2026, the provincial government of British Columbia and families of the victims filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in a California court. The lawsuit alleges that Van Rootselaar interacted with ChatGPT regarding gun violence prior to the shooting, leading OpenAI safety monitors to suspend the account without notifying police. In April 2026, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman issued a written apology regarding the lack of law enforcement notification.

“I am deeply sorry that we did not alert law enforcement.”

Court records do not currently list legal counsel for Bryant.