Full court details on the trans-national Tumbler Ridge arrest

PENTICTON — A 41-page criminal complaint against James Cody Bryant alleges the 30-year-old Bellingham man spent the six months before the attack in online contact with mass shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar, agreeing to record a livestream of planned killings in British Columbia and staying in the chat after Van Rootselaar shot two relatives, before he then when onto kill several more people at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.On Tuesday, US federal prosecutors charged Bryant with conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country — here's what the criminal complaint alleges Bryant did: FBI Special Agent Joseph Rico swore the affidavit, which Magistrate Judge Brian A. Tsuchida signed by telephone on October 2, four days before the US Department of Justice announced Bryant's arrest. Filed in Seattle federal court, the charge under Title 18, United States Code, section 956(a)(1) and (a)(2)(A) alleges a conspiracy beginning in or before August 2025 in Whatcom County and elsewhere to commit murder in BC and broadcast the attack..The affidavit and Tuesday's Justice Department press release refer to Van Rootselaar using female pronouns ("she"). In February, RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald stated Van Rootselaar was born male and had identified as female for approximately six years.The Western Standard uses male pronouns ("he") in keeping with editorial standards..According to Rico's affidavit, Van Rootselaar killed his mother and stepbrother at their home at approximately 2 p.m. local time on February 10.He then drove to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, killing a staff member and five children aged 12 and 13, while injuring two other children with gunshot wounds that required serious medical treatment.Police later found Van Rootselaar dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound..RCMP records from February 12 identify the victims killed at the school as students Abel Mwansa, Kylie Smith, Zoey Benoit, and Ticaria Lampert, all 12, Ezekiel Schofield, 13, and educational assistant Shannda Aviugana-Durand, 39. At the residential crime scene, police identified the victims as Jennifer Jacobs, 39 (also known as Jennifer Strang), and 11-year-old Emmett Jacobs. After the fact, the online platform Discord voluntarily notified the RCMP that one of Van Rootselaar's accounts had been communicating about the planned attack with a user named meldritch_. Discord identified two accounts that appeared to belong to the shooter, jessjesss and lavenderlola, with messages to meldritch_ from November 2025 to February 10. Subscriber records identified meldritch_ as Bryant. A subsequent search warrant return cited in the affidavit lists the handle brave_kitten_01595 for Van Rootselaar.An alleged discussion on that platform between Bryant and Van Rootselaar is where the two discussed broadcasting the attack on the live-streaming app known as Twitch..Twitch records reviewed by the agent show a livestream of about 20 seconds with a single viewer registered to Bryant's birthdate and email address.Homeland Security Investigations agents first interviewed Bryant at his Bellingham home on February 12. Rico noted Bryant admitted owning the meldritch_ account, maintaining months of contact leading up to the attack, and watching the attempted livestream.During a follow-up FBI interview on March 3, Bryant stated he first met Van Rootselaar online three years earlier, lost contact following two separate institutionalizations, one following a room fire, and resumed daily communications during the six months prior to the attack.Bryant told investigators Van Rootselaar explicitly discussed plans to use firearms against family members and others, noting weapons and ammunition were taken from a family safe while an unnamed associate purchased additional ammunition.Bryant claimed he agreed to record and post the livestream "to placate" Van Rootselaar, adding he advised against targeting a school due to the young age of the victims and suggested a grocery store or church instead..After Bryant refused to consent to Discord releasing his account messages, FBI agents obtained a search warrant on March 13. Discord produced the records on March 26.The formal overt acts listed in the filing, which remain government allegations rather than proven findings, claim Bryant agreed in August 2025 to record and distribute the stream.On August 30, he watched a test run and messaged that it "looks solid." The filing alleges Bryant provided tactical advice and monitored a second test stream.The count dates that test January 4. The livestream section dates it on or about January 5.Both use the message "It works. I saw your lighter." The filing alleges he sent $14.33 via PayPal on January 25 for a lighter intended for an explosive device.On February 10, he opened the live feed, confirmed viewing, reported when the signal dropped, and discussed deleting messages and using a virtual private network..A separate transfer involved funds for shoes. In August, Van Rootselaar requested shoes costing roughly $150 CAD, to which Bryant replied, "Like 150 usd. Total." On November 21, PayPal records show Bryant sent $124.47 with the note "Happy late birthday." The same August exchange includes a photograph Van Rootselaar sent of a firearm with stickers on it. Bryant replied, "love the stickers," and wrote that they would be funny to be seen in photos of the incident. The agent wrote that Van Rootselaar had asked for a small amount of extra money for the stickers. .In December, Van Rootselaar sent a photo of loafers, confirming they were intended for the attack. Rico stated video from the scene shows the shooter wearing those shoes, and Bryant admitted purchasing them during his March 3 interview. In a September chat log, Bryant wrote that he could not "really be blamed for contributing to your outfit.".The court filing also documents instances where Bryant refused specific requests. On August 6, when asked to buy a Tec-9 parts kit, Bryant replied, "If I didn't have to send them I'd be down." On August 20, asked to order and mail a 3D-printed firearm kit, he wrote, "I'm not risking mailing that shit." In late December, asked for a sight tool, he responded, "Yeah, I'm not gonna contribute to your plan in that way."Government excerpts show Bryant repeatedly promised not to notify law enforcement. On August 3, he asked, "You believe me when I promise I won't snitch on you, right?"The following day, after Van Rootselaar noted a police tip could stop the plan, Bryant replied, "I could. I don't want to honestly. I know I can like, save lives I guess but idk," adding, "I'd rather you not get snitched on.".On September 2, asked if he would report a potential act of terrorism, Bryant wrote, "I still won't snitch." On October 14, asked if receiving a livestream link would prompt a police call, he wrote, "Nah I promise I wont," and "No desire to conspire against you." On January 6, discussing a potential attack at a local school, he wrote, "People die no matter what.".The affidavit details the exchange on the morning of February 10. After Bryant confirmed the Twitch channel was online, Van Rootselaar messaged, "I'm going now. Fr. Live. I shot them. Fuck." Bryant replied, "Watching now," followed shortly by, "Fuck. Stream diwn." When Van Rootselaar reported trouble starting the family vehicle, Bryant advised, "Turn the key til it sounds like its going enough then stop." .Upon learning it was a push-button start, he messaged, "Button? Hold it a lil maybe??" Rico noted the vehicle started, a neighbour witnessed it leave a snowbank, and Van Rootselaar drove to the school.Reporters at Tuesday's press conference quoted Acting US Attorney Neil Floyd as saying Bryant had the information and the ability to alert police, discussed that possibility, and chose not to.According to CBC reports, Bryant appeared Tuesday afternoon before Magistrate Judge Tsuchida, where prosecutors asked that he be held. Bail was not decided. CBC reported a detention hearing for Tuesday, October 13, and a preliminary hearing for October 20 at 1 p.m. PT.The federal complaint makes no mention of OpenAI or the case in California, where a separate provincial claim has been filed on behalf of dozens of victims and the province of British Columbia against the San Francisco-based tech and artificial intelligence company for its alleged involvement in the tragedy.

Full court details on the trans-national Tumbler Ridge arrest

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