A woman from Bellingham, Washington, has been charged by U.S. federal prosecutors with conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country after allegedly helping an 18‑year‑old plan a school shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia. The case centers on communications that spanned at least six months leading up to the February attack.
Prosecutors say James Cody Bryant, who identifies as female, provided tactical advice, financial support and instructions for concealing online messages. The complaint alleges Bryant advised the shooter on how to maximize casualties, sent money for a lighter used in an explosive device, and urged the use of virtual private networks to hide the plot.
Jesse Van Rootselaar first killed her mother and stepbrother before entering a nearby school, where five children and an educational assistant were killed and 25 others wounded. Authorities report the attacker attempted to livestream the assault on Twitch from a vehicle; the brief stream was seen by a single account. Van Rootselaar later died from an apparent self‑inflicted gunshot wound.
Bryant appeared in federal court on Tuesday and was ordered detained pending a preliminary hearing on Oct. 20. Canadian officials said it is too early to determine whether she could face charges there. Separately, families of the victims have sued OpenAI in U.S. federal court, alleging the company failed to alert authorities about the shooter’s use of ChatGPT.
