U.S. suspect conspired with Tumbler Ridge killer before and during attack: FBI

A Washington state suspect gave advice, money and encouragement to the Tumbler Ridge mass killer and tried to livestream the attack on social media to "amplify" the impact of the murders, the FBI said on Tuesday. 

Mike Harrington, special agent in charge with the FBI in Seattle told a news conference James Cody Bryant enabled the shooter for months as they discussed the plan. 

Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd said the accused had the information and the ability to alert police, but instead encouraged the murders, even advising killer Jesse Van Rootselaar on how to start her car as she headed to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.

Van Rootselaar, 18, killed her mother and brother at their home before killing five students and an educational assistant at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School on Feb. 10. 

"In the complaint, Bryant even admits to being maybe the only one who could stop the shooter," Harrington said.

Bryant is charged with conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country.

Harrington said the livestream the two had planned only lasted about 20 seconds, briefly showing the killer sitting in a vehicle with a rifle.

The complaint says that during the brief livestream, Van Rootselaar told Bryant: "I'm going now. Fr (for real). Live. I shot them."

“Without Bryant's misplaced loyalty and willingness to operate the live stream, we don't ultimately know if the shooter would have gone through (with) the crime," Harrington said.

He said the killer was concerned that not enough people would see the livestream without Bryant broadcasting it and was depending on it because Van Rootselaar didn't have many followers on social media. 

The complaint filed by the FBI says Bryant gave tactical advice "on how to carry out the murders," and confirmed that he was watching video from Van Rootselaar as the attack took place.

Bryant is alleged to have given Van Rootselaar suggestions on target locations, including that hallways had "a lot of ways people can escape" but "open spaces means numbers."

The document also says Van Rootselaar deployed a crude improvised explosive device in the high school and tried to get into classrooms by firing through locked doors. 

The complaint shows photographs sent by the killer to Bryant on the morning of the murders, saying she was dressed for the attack, with a picture showing someone in a black miniskirt and fishnet stockings holding a rifle.

Earlier chats between Van Rootselaar and Bryant suggest the shooter considered other targets before settling on Tumbler Ridge Secondary.

In a conversation dated Aug. 8, 2025, Van Rootselaar discusses whether to seek the Canadian record for worst mass shooting by killing more than 22 people, while saying it would be "a lot easier" to get the record for worst shooting at a school or college by killing more than 14.

Van Rootselaar then shared a map of Northern Lights College in Dawson Creek, saying it "seems to give me the best chance at getting a lot of time to shoot before the cops show up."

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said Tuesday he was informed of the pending arrest on Monday. 

“It is absolutely devastating to see the allegations,” Anandasangaree said in Ottawa.

The minister was joined by B.C. Conservative MP Bob Zimmer, who represents Tumbler Ridge, Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon and Conservative public safety critic Frank Caputo.

Zimmer said the allegations are “very troubling,” and while there are still many questions about why the Tumbler Ridge shooting happened, this arrest is an important step forward in getting answers.

“To me, it's a sick individual … that would even consider this. And the result would be eight dead individuals from my community," he said, while praising the FBI and the RCMP for the investigation. 

The charges against Bryant are American, but Anandasangaree did not rule out the possibility of him also facing Canadian charges.

“RCMP is working in collaboration with the FBI, if Canadian laws as part of it were broken and based on the circumstances, there is a likelihood that an individual could also face prosecution in Canada,” he said.

This report by The Canadian was first published by The Canadian Press on Oct. 6, 2026. 

Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.