Topline: A Washington man faces a federal conspiracy charge tied to the Tumbler Ridge attack that killed eight people, including five students and an educator.
Published: October 8, 2026 11:34 am ET
Randy Shaw
I cut my teeth in journalism when I began looking into what I saw as abuses of power in my local government. From then on, I was hooked on the dopamine rush of uncovering information.
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Jesse Van Rootselaar (via Royal Canadian Mounted Police)
BELLINGHAM, WA — A 30-year-old Bellingham man has been arrested on a federal charge of conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country in connection with the February attack that killed eight people in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia.
James Cody Bryant is accused of providing advice and money to the shooter and offering to livestream the attack, according to The Canadian Press, citing U.S. investigators. KING5 reported the arrest and charge in its October 6 coverage.
The U.S. attorney’s office in Seattle said Bryant communicated with 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar for six months before the shootings, according to The Associated Press. Authorities allege he knew about her plans, did not alert police and conspired with her to broadcast the attacks.
The FBI said Bryant had both the information and the ability to warn authorities but instead encouraged the killings, The Canadian Press reported. Investigators allege he advised Van Rootselaar about starting her car during the killings.
The February 10 attack began at a home, where Van Rootselaar killed her mother and stepbrother, before moving to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. Five students and an educator were killed at the school.
In its February 11 account of the response, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police identified the school victims as three 12-year-old girls, two boys ages 12 and 13, and a 39-year-old female educator. The victims found at the home were a 39-year-old woman and an 11-year-old boy.
Local officers reached the school within two minutes of the initial call, police said, and shots were fired toward them as they approached. Officers entered and found Van Rootselaar dead from an apparent self-inflicted injury. More than 100 students and staff were evacuated.
Accounts differ on the injury count. AP’s October 6 report described 25 people wounded. The RCMP’s February 11 update said approximately 25 people had possible injuries, but those assessed at the local clinic had no discernible physical injuries; two seriously injured victims were airlifted to hospital.
The reports reviewed did not establish whether any broadcast occurred or identify Bryant’s next court date.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Bellingham Man Charged With Conspiracy in Tumbler Ridge School Massacre
A Washington man faces a federal conspiracy charge tied to the Tumbler Ridge attack that killed eight people, including five students and an educator.
By Randy Shaw
Published: October 8, 2026 11:34 am ET
Jesse Van Rootselaar (via Royal Canadian Mounted Police)
BELLINGHAM, WA — A 30-year-old Bellingham man has been arrested on a federal charge of conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country in connection with the February attack that killed eight people in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia.
James Cody Bryant is accused of providing advice and money to the shooter and offering to livestream the attack, according to The Canadian Press, citing U.S. investigators. KING5 reported the arrest and charge in its October 6 coverage.
The U.S. attorney’s office in Seattle said Bryant communicated with 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar for six months before the shootings, according to The Associated Press. Authorities allege he knew about her plans, did not alert police and conspired with her to broadcast the attacks.
The FBI said Bryant had both the information and the ability to warn authorities but instead encouraged the killings, The Canadian Press reported. Investigators allege he advised Van Rootselaar about starting her car during the killings.
The February 10 attack began at a home, where Van Rootselaar killed her mother and stepbrother, before moving to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. Five students and an educator were killed at the school.
In its February 11 account of the response, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police identified the school victims as three 12-year-old girls, two boys ages 12 and 13, and a 39-year-old female educator. The victims found at the home were a 39-year-old woman and an 11-year-old boy.
Local officers reached the school within two minutes of the initial call, police said, and shots were fired toward them as they approached. Officers entered and found Van Rootselaar dead from an apparent self-inflicted injury. More than 100 students and staff were evacuated.
Accounts differ on the injury count. AP’s October 6 report described 25 people wounded. The RCMP’s February 11 update said approximately 25 people had possible injuries, but those assessed at the local clinic had no discernible physical injuries; two seriously injured victims were airlifted to hospital.
The reports reviewed did not establish whether any broadcast occurred or identify Bryant’s next court date.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Bellingham Man Charged With Conspiracy in Tumbler Ridge School Massacre
A Washington man faces a federal conspiracy charge tied to the Tumbler Ridge attack that killed eight people, including five students and an educator.
By Randy Shaw
Published: October 8, 2026 11:34 am ET
Jesse Van Rootselaar (via Royal Canadian Mounted Police)
BELLINGHAM, WA — A 30-year-old Bellingham man has been arrested on a federal charge of conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country in connection with the February attack that killed eight people in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia.
James Cody Bryant is accused of providing advice and money to the shooter and offering to livestream the attack, according to The Canadian Press, citing U.S. investigators. KING5 reported the arrest and charge in its October 6 coverage.
The U.S. attorney’s office in Seattle said Bryant communicated with 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar for six months before the shootings, according to The Associated Press. Authorities allege he knew about her plans, did not alert police and conspired with her to broadcast the attacks.
The FBI said Bryant had both the information and the ability to warn authorities but instead encouraged the killings, The Canadian Press reported. Investigators allege he advised Van Rootselaar about starting her car during the killings.
The February 10 attack began at a home, where Van Rootselaar killed her mother and stepbrother, before moving to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. Five students and an educator were killed at the school.
In its February 11 account of the response, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police identified the school victims as three 12-year-old girls, two boys ages 12 and 13, and a 39-year-old female educator. The victims found at the home were a 39-year-old woman and an 11-year-old boy.
Local officers reached the school within two minutes of the initial call, police said, and shots were fired toward them as they approached. Officers entered and found Van Rootselaar dead from an apparent self-inflicted injury. More than 100 students and staff were evacuated.
Accounts differ on the injury count. AP’s October 6 report described 25 people wounded. The RCMP’s February 11 update said approximately 25 people had possible injuries, but those assessed at the local clinic had no discernible physical injuries; two seriously injured victims were airlifted to hospital.
The reports reviewed did not establish whether any broadcast occurred or identify Bryant’s next court date.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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