Washington trans male arrested for providing tactical support to trans Tumbler Ridge shooter
A Washington state trans-identified male has been arrested for allegedly aiding notorious trans killer, Jesse Van Rootselaar, in carrying out the heinous mass shooting attack at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in Canada. James "Mel" Cody Bryant, 30, of Bellingham, was arrested Tuesday on charges of conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country, according to an FBI affidavit.
Bryant has been accused of communicating with Rootselaar about the February 2026 attack on Discord. This included allegedly giving the killer tactical advice as to how to carry out the murders, including which firearms to use. Bryant also agreed to record Van Rootselaar’s livestream so the executions could be shared on the internet for public view, according to the affidavit.
Additionally, investigators said that Bryant sent Van Rootselaar $100 for shoes and $15 for a lighter, which was used to construct an explosive device that was used during the attack.
On February 10, 2026, Rootselaar, 18, shot and killed eight individuals, including six children, and wounded 25 others at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia, Canada. He first killed his mother and stepbrother at his family home before traveling to kill more.
According to the affidavit, Bryant assisted Van Rootselaar travel to the school to conduct mass carnage by providing instructions on how to start Van Rootselaar's vehicle after it failed to start.
The killer committed suicide via self-inflicted gunshot wound following a police shootout inside the school.
The pair spoke daily on the internet beginning in August 2025, about six months prior to the shooting. According to the affidavit, Van Rootselaar repeatedly discussed plans to use guns to murder his family due to claims of "mistreatment."
Van Rootselaar told Bryant that he stole firearms and ammunition from his family's gun safe and was hiding them in his room for the mass shooting. The killer also told Bryant that he allegedly convinced another individual to purchase ammunition on his behalf. Additionally, Van Rootselaar told Bryant about the types of guns and accessories he possessed, some of which Bryant said were used in the mass shooting, per the affidavit.
According to Bryant, as detailed in the affidavit, Van Rootselaar was infatuated with mass shootings and often watched live-streamed recordings of past shootings to learn from them. He wanted his attack to be live-streamed, and Bryant agreed to assist.
Bryant made these claims and admitted to providing assistance during an interview with FBI and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents.
Bryant and Van Rootselaar spoke about selecting a target location for the mass shooting during the six months prior to the attack. The killer suggested the school because it would lead to the largest number of victims. Bryant allegedly said a school would be a bad idea because there would be too many young victims. Instead, Bryant suggested targeting a grocery store or church, according to the affidavit.
Bryant admitted to being in contact with Van Rootselaar on Discord prior to the shooting and confirmed that he knew of his plans to kill.
Van Rootselaar sent Bryant the livestream link and instructed him to record and broadcast it. Bryant did just that. The stream was cut by Twitch about 20 seconds in to the attack.
"The Tumbler Ridge Secondary School shooting was a horrific tragedy for that small community and for all of Canada. Indeed, here in the Pacific Northwest we felt the pain of those families devastated by this violence," said Acting US Attorney Neil Floyd in a press release. "It is even more profoundly disturbing to learn that a resident of Western Washington had a role in the attack and took steps – providing counsel, technical advice, and money to the shooter planning such a tragedy."
If convicted, Bryant faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
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