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U.S. authorities released new details of the lead-up to the school shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., following the arrest of a 30-year-old man from Washington who was allegedly connected to the slaughter.

In a criminal complaint filed Tuesday at the U.S. District Court in Seattle, James Cody Bryant was charged with conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country for his alleged role in the Feb. 10 shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School that claimed the lives of five students and a teaching assistant and seriously injured others. In addition, the mother and half-brother of the killer, Jesse Van Rootselaar, were also gunned down at the family home before the school massacre unfolded.

The FBI alleges that Bryant was in regular contact with Van Rootselaar, the 18-year-old transgender shooter who turned the gun on themself after police responded and entered the school.

Met online three years ago

In the court filing , the FBI said that Bryant met Van Rootselaar online about three years ago. In the first year, they were messaging each other sporadically until Van Rootselaar was institutionalized after being deemed a danger to themself.

Later, Van Rootselaar contacted Bryant and they kept in touch until a year later, when the teen was institutionalized for a second time after setting their room on fire.

They began exchanging messages again and spoke daily during the six months before the Tumbler Ridge school shooting, U.S. authorities alleged.

“Van Rootselaar often spoke about planning to use guns to murder her family members and others” due to feelings of mistreatment, the FBI said.

In the indictment, federal law enforcement officials obtained online exchanges between the two on the instant messaging app Discord, alleging Van Rootselaar had the desire to become the most notorious school shooter in Canadian history.

“The deadliest school shooting in Canada happened in 1989 and 14 people died, they were all female students because the shooter hated women and feminism and was misogynist,” Van Rootselaar wrote to Bryant on Aug. 8, 2025, the charging document says.

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“It was at École Polytechnic. Means if I managed to cause more than 14 deaths on a school ground like a college … it would make it the deadliest school shooting in all of Canadian history even if I didn’t surpass the Nova Scotia killings. Getting 14 kills is a lot easier than getting 22, though if I got more than 22 it’d be simply the deadliest shooting in Canadian history period.”

Later in the conversation, according to the document, Van Rootselaar also had thoughts about committing the attack at a large retailer instead of a school.

“A place like Walmart or Costco would have a lot of people too, but it’s wayyy too wide and open,” Van Rootselaar wrote. “Plus I don’t wanna die in a s—– Walmart I’d rather a mall because at least that’s a nice place to buy things lol.”

Three days later, Van Rootselaar and Bryant allegedly continued to discuss the planned attack.

“I want people to hide because that means I can play hide and seek,” messaged Van Rootselaar, the document says. “It’s hard to bolt down a hallway to escape when an accurate barrage of fire is being sent down it with ease.”

Bryant allegedly agreed with Van Rootselaar. “It’s weird how like I find minor annoyance a worse sin than like major wrongs.”

‘Smart’ to have handgun

Around Aug. 26, the FBI alleges Bryant advised Van Rootselaar that it would be “smart” to have a handgun among the weapons used during a mass shooting.

“Honestly I think I can cause a lot of damage this way,” Van Rootselaar wrote, according to cops. “Yeah you’ve got solid plans,” Bryant allegedly replied.

Days later, Bryant allegedly agreed to livestream the shooting and the pair tested an online broadcast to see if it worked. Van Rootselaar said it “looks solid.”

On Christmas Day, the document says the pair allegedly discussed whether Van Rootselaar will have “fans” after committing the murders. Bryant allegedly believed there would be supporters.

Around the end of January, Van Rootselaar was feeling “aggressive” and wanting to “break or burn or hurt something” in another exchange with Bryant.

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“I wish I was closer to the people who deserved to be punished,” Van Rootselaar wrote. “Not just randos in my town in the middle of nowhere. There are so many people who are. They’re close to the valuable targets yet they sit there doing nothing. If you’re gonna kill yourself why die like a loser and meaninglessly? At least do something.”

On the day of the shooting, the document says Bryant allegedly received photos and videos that showed Van Rootselaar was prepared for the attack. The online broadcast went live after Van Rootselaar killed their family members.

“R you ready with my twitch account pulled up?” Van Rootselaar asked. Bryant allegedly confirmed it was working.

“I’m going now. Fr (for real). Live. I shot them. F—,” Van Rootselaar wrote while still inside the home.

Bryant allegedly said he was watching the livestream, but it cut out after about 20 seconds.

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