James Cody Bryant, 30, had information that could have stopped a tragedy in his hands. According to the federal indictment, he chose not to act.
On October 6, 2026, FBI and prosecutors announced his arrest in Bellingham, Washington, in Seattle. He is accused of conspiring to murder people in a foreign country. Investigators say he was in contact with 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar on Discord from at least August 2025, six months before the February 10 attack at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia. The FBI says they had met years earlier through a random pairing on Omegle and there is no indication they ever met in person.
According to the indictment, Bryant sent the shooter money and gave him advice. He also allegedly agreed to record and livestream the attack to give it notoriety, and stayed up after a night shift at work to do so. He also allegedly helped him start a car and get to the school after he had already killed his mother and stepbrother. The Twitch livestream lasted about 20 seconds. 8 people died, including five children and an educational assistant.
Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd summed it up this way: “Instead, he encouraged and offered help to a killer”. Bryant, he said, had the ability to alert police, discussed it with the shooter, and decided not to do so. The FBI clarified that it does not know whether the attack would have happened without his help. All of the above is part of the indictment: there has been no conviction yet.
