US arrests person in connection to Canada school shooting, officials say
James Cody Bryant, 30, was detained on charges of conspiracy to murder people in a foreign country after having helped carry out a mass shooting that left six dead in a school in Canada.
Federal agents apprehended an individual in Washington on Tuesday, accused of aiding a deadly school shooting in Canada earlier this year. James Cody Bryant, 30, faces charges of conspiracy to murder someone in a foreign country in connection with the attack at Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia. The maximum sentence for this crime is life imprisonment.
Law enforcement officials revealed that Bryant communicated with the shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, providing technical guidance, financial support, including for footwear used during the incident, and consented to live-streaming the event. FBI officials explained that Bryant had the knowledge and ability to notify authorities but chose to assist instead, actively encouraging and aiding a murderer.
Court records did not disclose an attorney for Bryant at the time of the arrest. Nine people, mostly children, lost their lives in the Tumbler Ridge shooting, one of Canada's most devastating mass shootings. Van Rootselaar, 18, had endured mental health issues prior to the attack. She killed her mother and stepbrother at home before taking the lives of a teacher and five students at her former school in Tumbler Ridge, a community of approximately 2,400 in the Canadian Rockies.
After the shooting, Van Rootselaar took her own life. Bryant, who identified as female, agreed to broadcast the live-stream of the attack on the platform Twitch, aiming to maximize notoriety for the shooter. However, the live-stream was halted after about 20 seconds. According to FBI agent Mike Herrington, the live-stream and Bryant's involvement likely played a role in the shooter's decision to carry out the crime, as the perpetrator expressed concern over insufficient viewership due to limited social media presence.
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