A 30-year-old man from western Washington state has been arrested in connection with a mass school shooting in Canada that took place earlier this year. The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Tuesday that James Codey Bryant faces charges of conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country, linked to the February attack that resulted in the deaths of eight people, including six children.
Canadian authorities have identified Jesse Van Rootselaar, 18, as the sole gunman responsible for the attack, which also claimed the lives of her mother and half-brother. The incident is the second-deadliest school shooting in Canadian history. Van Rootselaar reportedly has a history of mental health issues.
Investigations revealed that Van Rootselaar used the AI chatbot ChatGPT to plan the attack. The technology company OpenAI, which owns ChatGPT, had flagged her conversations about gun violence internally and suspended her account, but she was able to create a second account that remained active. Victims’ families and the province of British Columbia have filed lawsuits against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, alleging the company failed to report Van Rootselaar’s behavior to authorities.
The connection between Van Rootselaar and a human accomplice was not previously known. In a joint press conference, officials from the Department of Justice and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) disclosed that Bryant and Van Rootselaar met approximately three years ago on the messaging platform Omegle, which has since been shut down. They maintained contact up to the time of the shooting.
Prosecutors allege that Bryant provided money and “technical advice” to Van Rootselaar during the six months leading up to the attack. This included sending approximately $100 to purchase shoes and about $15 for a lighter. The indictment states that Bryant advised Van Rootselaar on how to delete digital messages and suggested the use of a virtual private network (VPN) to avoid detection when posting a shooting video online.
Authorities indicated that on several occasions Bryant attempted to dissuade Van Rootselaar from carrying out the shooting but did not report her plans to law enforcement. Following the initial killings of her mother and half-brother at their home, Van Rootselaar reportedly struggled to start the family vehicle. Bryant provided instructions on how to start the engine, enabling her to reach the school where the mass shooting occurred.
Officials also said Bryant agreed to livestream the incident, with FBI Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington suggesting that the shooting might not have occurred without Bryant’s involvement. There is no evidence at this time that the two had met in person.
Bryant, a U.S. citizen, will be prosecuted under U.S. federal law, with the FBI continuing to cooperate with Canadian authorities as the investigation proceeds. It remains unclear whether Bryant has legal representation.