US authorities arrest alleged accomplice in Canada school shooting case

US authorities have arrested a Washington state resident they accuse of helping plan and promote a deadly school shooting in Canada. The Justice Department identified the suspect as James Cody Bryant, 30, and charged him with conspiracy to murder people in a foreign country. The charge relates to the February shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, in which nine people were killed, according to the South China Morning Post.

The victims were primarily children. The Guardian described the dead as including the shooter’s mother and half-brother, as well as six children at the school. Authorities allege that Bryant maintained contact with Jesse Van Rootselaar, the 18-year-old identified by Canadian police as the shooter.

They said the two had met on Omegle about three years before the attack and remained in contact, although there was no indication they ever met in person. According to the allegations, Bryant provided technical advice over roughly six months, sent money for items including shoes and a lighter, and agreed to livestream the attack. FBI Seattle special agent in charge W Mike Herrington said the proposed broadcast was intended to maximise the shooter’s notoriety.

Officials said the livestream on Twitch was shut down after about 20 seconds. Herrington said investigators believed Van Rootselaar was concerned that too few people would see the broadcast and was relying on Bryant to amplify it. The indictment, as reported by the Guardian through CBC, alleges that Bryant and Van Rootselaar discussed deleting messages.

It also says Bryant suggested using a VPN in connection with posting a shooting video online. Authorities further allege that, after Van Rootselaar killed her mother and brother, Bryant advised her how to start a car, enabling her to reach the school. Officials said Bryant sometimes tried to persuade Van Rootselaar not to carry out the attack, but did not alert law enforcement.

Acting US Attorney Neil Floyd said Bryant had information and the ability to warn authorities but instead encouraged and assisted the shooter. The reports differ in some descriptions of the death toll and sequence, but agree that the attack killed the shooter’s family members and students and that Van Rootselaar later died by suicide. Court records did not immediately identify a lawyer for Bryant.

The Guardian also reported that Van Rootselaar had used ChatGPT while planning the attack. OpenAI’s safety team reportedly flagged conversations about gun violence and the account was closed, but she subsequently opened another account. Families of victims and British Columbia have sued OpenAI and its chief executive, Sam Altman, over the company’s response, according to the report.

Bryant, a US citizen, is expected to be prosecuted in the United States, with the FBI continuing to work with Canadian authorities. The conspiracy charge carries a potential sentence of up to life in prison, according to the South China Morning Post.