Transgender Washington state resident accused of fueling deadly Canadian school massacre that killed 8: DOJ
A transgender Washington state resident allegedly helped fuel a Canadian school massacre that left children dead, choosing to aid the shooter, who also identified as a transgender, instead of sounding the alarm, federal officials said Tuesday.James Cody Bryant, 30, was arrested Tuesday morning in Bellingham north of Seattle, accused of sending money, offering advice and agreeing to broadcast the Feb.10 attack at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia."Bryant had the information and ability to alert law enforcement, and even discussed that possibility with the shooter, but he chose not to," Acting U.S.
Attorney Neil Floyd said at a Seattle news conference."Instead, he encouraged and offered assistance to a murderer."TRANSGEDNER EX-STUDENT IDENTIFIED AS ALLEGED SUSPECT IN CANADA SCHOOL MASS SHOOTING THAT LEFT AT LEAST 9 DEADU.S.and Canadian officials discuss the arrest of James Cody Bryant, 30, in connection with the deadly Tumbler Ridge school shooting during a news conference Tuesday in Seattle.
(U.S.Attorney for the Western District of Washington)Bryant faces a federal charge of conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country.
Prosecutors allege Bryant helped the shooter, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, start a car to reach the school after the killings had begun."So even after the shooter had already tragically killed two family members, Bryant assisted the shooter in successfully traveling to the second location to take even more lives," FBI Seattle Special Agent in Charge W.Mike Herrington said."In the complaint, Bryant even admits to being maybe the only one who could stop the shooter."Herrington confirmed that Bryant and Van Rootselaar both identified as transgender, and said Bryant identifies as female.The two met through a random pairing on the online chat service Omegle roughly three years before the attack. Investigators have no indication what their transgender identities were, why they remained in contact, or that they ever met in pe...