US charges Washington state man over alleged role in Canada school shooting

US federal authorities arrested a 30-year-old man in Washington state on Tuesday in connection with a deadly mass school shooting in Canada. The man is named as James Bryant.

According to the US Department of Justice, Bryant was detained on a charge of conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country. US authorities accuse him of advising the shooter and of offering or agreeing to livestream the attack. They also allege he sent the shooter money, including money for shoes. The shooter has been identified as Jesse Van Rootselaar.

What else is reported

According to AP, the shooting took place in British Columbia. SCMP places it at Tumbler Ridge. The Guardian reports that eight people were killed: six children, the shooter's mother and a sibling. It calls the attack the second-deadliest school shooting in Canada's history. It describes Van Rootselaar as 18 years old, with a history of mental health problems.

According to The Guardian, Bryant is a US citizen living in western Washington state and will be prosecuted in the United States. The FBI said it will keep working closely with Canadian authorities. SCMP reports the charge carries a penalty of up to life in prison.

The Guardian, citing an indictment obtained and reviewed by CBC, reports that the alleged conspiracy began in or before August 2025. That month, Bryant allegedly said they should "find a way to delete" their messages. In mid-December, he allegedly suggested a VPN to avoid detection for "posting a shooting video online".

The Guardian also reports that Van Rootselaar used ChatGPT to plan the attack. OpenAI's safety team flagged her internally but did not alert police. Victims' families and the province of British Columbia have sued OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman.

What is disputed

The Guardian, AP and SCMP place the shooting in February 2026 or "earlier this year". A Reuters summary says "last year". The Guardian spells the middle name "Codey"; SCMP spells it "Cody".

What each side says

The Justice Department says Bryant offered money and "technical advice" for six months before the killings. At a joint press conference, US and Canadian authorities said the two met on the now-defunct service Omegle about three years earlier. They said there is no indication so far that they met in person.

According to The Guardian, police say Bryant tried several times to talk Van Rootselaar out of the attack but did not contact law enforcement. Police say that after she killed her mother and brother at home, he advised her how to start the car, allowing her to reach the school. An FBI official said police were not sure she would have carried out the attack had he not agreed to livestream it.

The reports do not include any response from Bryant. The Guardian says it was not clear whether he had a lawyer.

Analysis

The case raises questions about cross-border accountability when alleged planning happens online and the violence happens in another country. US prosecutors are pursuing Bryant under US law. The reports do not say whether Canada intends to bring its own charges. Much of the detail comes from authorities and from an indictment known only through CBC's reporting. It has not yet been tested in court, and Bryant's account is absent. Separately, the lawsuits against OpenAI could shape debate on whether online platforms should alert police about threats. Outcomes in both the criminal case and the civil cases remain uncertain.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.