FBI Says Second Transgender Woman Linked to Canada School Massacre

A 30-year-old individual from Washington state, who identifies as female, was apprehended by the FBI on Tuesday and charged with conspiracy to murder individuals in a foreign country. This arrest is linked to a school shooting that occurred in Canada earlier in the year. The U.S. Justice Department confirmed this news, stating that the accused, James Cody Bryant, had been in "repeated contact" with the shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, via the messaging platform Discord.

Van Rootselaar, who is 18 years old and had been transitioning to female for six years, carried out a tragic act on February 10. She murdered her mother and 11-year-old stepbrother before proceeding to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, where she killed five children—three who were 12 years old and two who were 12 and 13 years old—and a teacher. Van Rootselaar subsequently took her own life, making this incident one of the deadliest mass shootings in Canada's history.

Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd expressed deep concern over the involvement of a resident from the Western Washington area in the attack, noting that Bryant had offered "counsel, technical advice, and money to the shooter planning such a tragedy." The 41-page criminal complaint, reviewed by Newsweek, outlines allegations that Bryant encouraged and aided Van Rootselaar's plan, citing numerous communications between the two, including photographs. However, the complaint does not mention any in-person meetings between the pair.

Bryant and Van Rootselaar first connected on the video chat service Omegle nearly three years prior to the shooting, and they maintained contact through Discord. Despite losing contact twice when Van Rootselaar was admitted to a mental health facility, the two allegedly continued their relationship online. According to the complaint, Bryant assured Van Rootselaar that he would not "snitch" to law enforcement and would be present to handle any live streaming of the attack.

The complaint alleges that Bryant provided financial support and technical guidance, even attempting to dissuade Van Rootselaar from carrying out the attack but ultimately agreeing to facilitate the live streaming. The complaint further states that Bryant admitted to being in contact with Van Rootselaar in the hours leading up to the shooting.

It is alleged that Van Rootselaar informed Bryant about her plan to commit the murders and that she was driving to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School at the time. Bryant reportedly provided advice on how to start the car, enabling the shooter to proceed with the school shooting plan. Van Rootselaar then shared the livestream link, instructing Bryant to record and broadcast it.

The shooting was streamed on Twitch for approximately 20 seconds before it was halted, with officials revealing that an account believed to be Bryant's was the sole one to view it, as stated in the criminal complaint. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg, who carries the potential sentence of life in prison should Bryant be found guilty.