What we know about the U.S. suspect connected to the Tumbler Ridge school shooting
Global News knocked on the door of the unit where James Cody Bryant lived, but the person living there responded from behind the door, saying they did not want to comment.
Recent developments have shed light on the U.S. suspect, James Cody Bryant, accused of advising the B.C. teenager who carried out a school shooting in Tumbler Ridge. According to court documents, the 30-year-old from Bellingham, Wash., was closely connected to the shooter online for months before the attack.
Bryant, who is transgender and identifies as female, was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Bellingham on Tuesday. Neighbors expressed shock at the news, stating that they would not have anticipated such a scenario occurring so close to their homes.
The FBI released months of online correspondence between Bryant and the B.C. teenager, Jesse Van Rootselaar, prior to and during the massacre on February 10. The two had met online about three years earlier on the now-defunct Omegle messaging app, which was later shut down due to child safety concerns. They fell out of contact after Van Rootselaar was institutionalized following an incident where he set their room on fire.
Van Rootselaar, who was around 15 years old at the time, and Bryant began communicating again six months before the shooting. According to FBI special agent W. Mike Herrington, Discord, an online messaging and chat platform, identified patterns of conversations between the two, revealing their discussions on tactics, locations, and weaponry for the attack. They communicated extensively through Discord, the FBI said.
Bryant allegedly provided Van Rootselaar with emotional, financial, and material support to carry out the attack. The FBI complaint alleges that the two spent months discussing the attack on Discord, including plans for livestreaming the murders on Twitch. Van Rootselaar even sent photos of his attire for the attack on Discord.
Bryant's boss at a local McDonald's described her as a reliable employee who had worked at the fast-food location for several years. Colleagues and neighbors noted that Bryant presented as female in everyday life, with long hair and well-done nails.
The shooting resulted in the death of eight people, including six children: Abel Mwansa, Ezekiel Schofield, Kylie Smith, Zoey Benoit, Ticaria Lampert, Shannda Aviugana-Durand, Emmett Jacobs, and Jennifer Jacobs. Van Rootselaar later died by suicide.
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