Bellingham man indicted on murder conspiracy charge tied to BC school shooting

A 30-year-old man from Bellingham has been indicted by a federal grand jury on a charge of conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country in connection with a school shooting in British Columbia, Canada.

James Cody Bryant was indicted in the Western District of Washington for his alleged role in the Feb. 10, 2026, attack, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. His arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 22.

Bryant was allegedly frequently communicating with school shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar during the six months leading up to the school shooting that killed six people and seriously injured others.

According to the criminal complaint, Bryant encouraged Van Rootselaar and helped plan the attack. On Feb. 10, Van Rootselaar killed two people at home and then drove to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, where Van Rootselaar shot and killed five children ages 12 and 13 and killed an educational assistant, the attorney’s office reported.

Van Rootselaar also used an improvised explosive device to damage the school and fired through locked doors while trying to enter other classrooms, according to the release. Van Rootselaar exchanged gunfire with police and ultimately committed suicide.

Law enforcement learned Van Rootselaar had been communicating with Bryant via the social platform Discord. Bryant and Van Rootselaar allegedly began talking on Discord around August 2025 about Van Rootselaar’s plan to kill multiple people in a shooting in Canada, according to the criminal complaint.

Investigators have obtained and reviewed thousands of communications between the two, the attorney’s office said.

Indictment details Bryant’s alleged role in BC school shooting

The indictment alleged Bryant agreed as early as August 2025 to record the shooting and broadcast it online. That month, he tested the livestream and confirmed it looked “solid,” according to the release. He allegedly tested it again in January 2026 and told Van Rootselaar it worked.

Bryant allegedly offered advice on where to attack and what weapons to carry. In late January, he sent Van Rootselaar money through PayPal to purchase a lighter for use in an improvised explosive device, according to the indictment.

On the day of the murders, Bryant allegedly confirmed the livestream was visible and later reported that it had gone down. The indictment also alleged he acknowledged the planning was illegal and discussed ways to hide their communications or the source of the livestream.

“The Tumbler Ridge Secondary School shooting was a horrific tragedy for that small community and for all of Canada,” Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd stated in an earlier release.

This story was originally published on Oct. 6, 2026. It has been updated and republished since then.

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