Washington State Man Charged in Conspiracy Behind Canadian School Massacre
Source: X | @KanekoaTheGreat
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Federal authorities charged James Cody Bryant, 30, of Bellingham, Washington, on October 6, 2026, with conspiring with Jesse Van Rootselaar in the February 2026 Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia school shooting that killed eight people, including five children. Bryant provided tactical advice, helped fund an incendiary device component, and committed to broadcasting the attack live to expand its audience.
ANALYSIS
Jesse Van Rootselaar, 18, carried out the Tumbler Ridge attack in February 2026, killing her mother and stepbrother at home before driving to a school in the remote British Columbia mountain community and shooting five students ages 12 and 13 and a school educational assistant, killing all six. Twenty-five others were wounded. Van Rootselaar had communicated with Bryant for approximately six months before the attack. During that period Bryant provided advice on increasing casualties, recommended specific firearms, and sent Van Rootselaar money to purchase a lighter she planned to use in constructing an improvised incendiary device.
Bryant committed to broadcast the attack as a livestream to multiply its reach. Van Rootselaar told Bryant she lacked sufficient social media followers to reach a significant viewership on her own and depended on him to amplify the broadcast. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent Mike Herrington stated in court that without Bryant's commitment to broadcast, investigators were uncertain Van Rootselaar would have proceeded with the attack. Bryant has been charged in US federal court for acting as a planning advisor, financial contributor, and distribution enabler.
SOURCES
