Tumbler Ridge conspiracy suspect James Bryant pleads not guilty in U.S. court
The alleged co-conspirator in the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., has pleaded not guilty in a U.S. court and is set to go on trial in December, accused of aiding one of the deadliest school attacks in Canadian history.
James Bryant entered the plea in a brief arraignment appearance in Seattle on Thursday, after a grand jury last week indicted the 30-year-old Bellingham, Wash., resident for conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country.
Shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar killed eight last February, including five students and an educational assistant at the local secondary school, before she fatally shot herself as police closed in.
The criminal complaint against Bryant, who uses female pronouns and goes by the name Melody, alleges she colluded with Van Rootselaar online, helping set up an attempted livestream of the murders.
Bryant, who appeared in a tan prison jumpsuit and dark-framed glasses with her hair down to her waist, has been denied bail.
Her trial is scheduled to begin before U.S. District Judge Kymberly K. Evanson in Seattle on Dec. 21.
Bryant smiled at two people who sat in the gallery of the courtroom during the arraignment, which lasted only minutes. The pair then walked out of the courthouse with Bryant’s public defender, Greg Murphy, speaking with him briefly before they parted ways.
Bryant also allegedly advised 18-year-old Van Rootselaar on where to carry out the attack and sent the shooter money to buy a lighter for an explosive device.
The accusations against Bryant remain unproven.
Magistrate Judge Michelle Peterson presided over Thursday's arraignment hearing, where Bryant was told she faces penalties of up to life in prison and US$250,000 in fines.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation's complaint against Bryant says that on Feb. 10, Van Rootselaar told Bryant she had dressed for the mass shooting.
The document shows a photo of someone from their shoulders down, holding a rifle and wearing black fishnet stockings and a black miniskirt.
"A few moments later, Van Rootselaar told Bryant that she went live with the stream and had just killed her family members at their residence," the complaint said.
Rootselaar allegedly told Bryant, "I'm going now. (for real). Live. I shot them," after killing her mother and brother at their home.
Bryant is alleged to have helped Van Rootselaar start the family car — she did not know how to drive — before she headed to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.
In arguing against Bryant's detention last week, Murphy and fellow public defender Dennis Carroll said there was no evidence that their client "has ever communicated with any other person as deeply disturbed as Van Rootselaar."
They also pointed to the delay between Bryant being interviewed by the FBI in February and March, then arrested on Oct. 6, saying that "if that danger were real, the government would not have left Ms. Bryant in the community for seven months."
"As horrible as Van Rootselaar’s crimes were, and as cold as many of Ms. Bryant’s chats appear, there is no evidence — much less clear and convincing evidence — that she would pose an unmitigable danger to the community," they said in a court filing.
The arguments were unsuccessful and Bryant was denied bail.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2026.
By Brenna Owen | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.