SEATTLE (AP) — Federal authorities arrested and charged a 30-year-old from Washington state on Tuesday in connection with a February school shooting in British Columbia.
The U.S. attorney’s office in Seattle says James Cody Bryant of Bellingham, Washington, communicated with the 18-year-old shooter for six months ahead of time. Bryant, who identifies as female, did not report the shooter’s plans to authorities and conspired with her to broadcast the attacks, authorities allege.
“Without Bryant’s misplaced loyalty and willingness to operate the livestream, we don’t ultimately know if the shooter would have gone through with the crime,” said W. Mike Herrington, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Seattle office.
Authorities say Jesse Van Rootselaar killed eight people and wounded 25 others. She first killed her mother and stepbrother at home before attacking a nearby school in the mountain community of Tumbler Ridge, killing five children ages 12 and 13 at the school as well as an educational assistant.
It was Canada’s deadliest mass shooting in years.
Van Rootselaar was later found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Authorities also allege Bryant provided advice on how to increase the carnage and what firearms to use, and that Bryant sent Van Rootselaar money to purchase a lighter that would be used to construct an explosive device.
Bryant advised Van Rootselaar about how to keep her plot a secret by deleting online messages and using virtual private networks, officials said.
Bryant tried to talk Van Rootselaar out of committing the attack at various points, authorities said, but ultimately did not contact law enforcement and provided support for her to carry out the shooting, authorities said.
___
The story and headline have been corrected to identify Bryant as a “resident” of Washington. Authorities say Bryant identifies as female.
