A 30-year-old Washington man has been arrested and charged in connection with a February mass shooting at a school in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada, that killed 8 people and wounded 25 others.
James Cody Bryant, of Bellingham, Washington, was charged with conspiracy to murder people in a foreign country, according to federal authorities. The case was announced Tuesday ahead of a joint news conference with U.S. and Canadian officials.
Federal authorities allege Bryant communicated with 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar for about 6 months before the shooting. Prosecutors say he did not report her plans to authorities and conspired with her to broadcast the attacks.
Acting Commanding Officer Assistant Commissioner Elijah Rain of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said police contacted U.S. authorities within days of the shooting after receiving information from an online platform used by the shooter, leading to an FBI investigation.
Van Rootselaar carried out the February attack in the small British Columbia town of Tumbler Ridge, which has about 2,300 residents. Authorities said she first killed her mother and 11-year-old stepbrother at a residence before opening fire at a nearby secondary school.
Six children were among the 8 people killed in the attack. Van Rootselaar later died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The shooting became one of the deadliest mass shootings in Canadian history and led to multiple lawsuits, including legal action involving OpenAI after it was revealed that Van Rootselaar had interacted with ChatGPT before the attack.
U.S. authorities have not yet released additional details about the evidence against Bryant beyond the allegations announced in connection with the charge. It is also unclear what prosecutors believe Bryant’s specific role was in the planning and broadcasting of the attack.