A 30-year-old man from Washington state has been arrested in the United States over his alleged involvement in the deadly school shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia. James Cody Bryant is accused of helping and encouraging the teenager who carried out the February attack. US authorities have charged him with conspiracy to murder people in a foreign country.
Officials said Bryant stayed in contact with the shooter for months. He allegedly supplied money, technical assistance, and other items for the planned attack.
Investigators also said Bryant agreed to livestream the shooting. The purpose was allegedly to increase attention around the attack and the shooter. The livestream lasted only about 20 seconds. According to court documents, just one account watched it.
The shooting left eight people dead. Six of the victims were children. The attack happened at a home and at a secondary school in Tumbler Ridge, a small community in British Columbia with about 2,300 residents.
The suspected shooter, 18-year-old Jessie Van Rootselaar, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound during the attack. US officials said Bryant knew that the attack was about to happen. They also claimed he had enough information to contact police but decided not to do so.
FBI officials said the two had first met online around three years before the shooting. Their contact reportedly stopped twice while Van Rootselaar was receiving treatment at a mental health facility.
However, the pair began communicating frequently again. Investigators said they exchanged messages every day through Discord during the six months before the shooting. Their conversations allegedly included discussions about weapons. They reportedly talked about sending 3D-printed weapons across the US-Canada border.
According to court documents, Bryant allegedly discussed various potential targets with Van Rootselaar. At one point, he allegedly suggested a shopping centre instead of a school. Bryant is also accused of telling the shooter that he would not report the planned attack to police.
The shooting killed Van Rootselaar’s mother and 11-year-old stepbrother. Five other children and a school educator were also among the victims. The case has led to several legal actions. British Columbia and some victims’ families have sued OpenAI after reports that Van Rootselaar had used ChatGPT before the attack.
The lawsuits allege that the company failed to alert authorities about the shooter’s interactions with the chatbot. OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman later expressed regret. In an April statement, he apologised to the victims’ families and expressed his condolences.
