BELLINGHAM, Wash. — According to a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, 30-year-old Bellingham resident James Cody Bryant was arrested today, October 6, 2026, on a federal criminal complaint charging conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country.
The charge is connected to a February 10, 2026, shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia, Canada, in which Jesse Van Rootselaar shot and killed 2 people at a residence, drove to the school, killed 5 children aged 12 and 13 along with 1 educational assistant, detonated an improvised explosive device and died by suicide following an exchange of gunfire with police.
According to the criminal complaint cited by the United States Attorney’s Office, Bryant and Van Rootselaar communicated via the an online messaging service beginning by August 2025 regarding plans to commit a mass shooting in Canada.
Court documents state Bryant agreed to record and broadcast a live stream of the shooting, assisted Van Rootselaar in testing streaming equipment, provided advice regarding firearms, sent money to purchase items including a lighter used for an explosive device, and advised Van Rootselaar to delete messages and use virtual private networks.
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According to federal prosecutors, Van Rootselaar contacted Bryant after killing 2 people at the residence when the vehicle would not start, and Bryant provided instructions on starting the engine prior to Van Rootselaar driving to the school.
The charge of conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country carries a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg is prosecuting the case with assistance from the National Security Division of the United States Department of Justice.
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