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Not Guilty Plea in Seattle Federal Court
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Not Guilty Plea and Court Proceedings
James Cody Bryant, a 30-year-old resident of Bellingham, Washington, entered a not-guilty plea at an arraignment in Seattle. The hearing, held on a Thursday, was presided over by Magistrate Judge Michelle Peterson, who denied bail. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Greenberg read the charge of conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country, an offense that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. A grand jury had indicted Bryant the previous week, and the trial is slated for December before U.S. District Judge Kymberly K. Evanson.
Background of the Tumbler Ridge Shooting
In February of the previous year, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar carried out a mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia, killing eight people—including five students, an educational assistant, and the shooter’s mother and half-brother—and injuring two others before taking her own life. The incident is among the deadliest school shootings in Canadian history.
FBI Allegations and Charged Conduct
According to a 41-page criminal complaint filed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bryant communicated with Van Rootselaar for months via the Discord messaging platform. The complaint alleges that Bryant helped plan an attempted livestream of the murders, tested the livestream quality, and offered tactical advice about venue layout, suggesting hallways and open spaces as advantageous. The FBI also claims Bryant wired money used by the shooter to purchase shoes and a lighter for a potential improvised explosive device, and that Bryant instructed the shooter on how to start a car to reach the school. While the complaint notes that Bryant reportedly tried to dissuade the shooter on several occasions, it states that Bryant did not intervene on the day of the attack.
Potential Implications
Bryant’s plea and the forthcoming trial raise questions about cross-border criminal liability for online facilitation of violent acts. If convicted, the case could set a precedent for prosecuting individuals in the United States who are alleged to have aided foreign mass-shooting conspiracies, highlighting the challenges of digital coordination in violent crimes.