A transgender Washington state resident, James Cody Bryant, 30, has been arrested and charged with conspiracy to murder in connection with the Feb. 10 massacre at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia, where eight people were killed. Federal officials allege that Bryant, who also identifies as transgender, provided financial assistance, advice, and agreed to livestream the attack orchestrated by 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, another transgender individual. Bryant reportedly knew the shooter’s deadly intentions and even discussed alerting law enforcement but chose instead to encourage the violence and assist Van Rootselaar in traveling to the school after the initial killings of family members. The two met on Omegle three years prior, and their online relationship evolved into discussions of violence over at least six months, with a shared focus on notoriety. Bryant allegedly agreed to broadcast the attack on Twitch to amplify the shooter’s reach, a livestream that lasted only about 20 seconds before shutting down. While Bryant expressed discomfort with sending weapons to Canada, investigators are still determining if the firearms used originated from the U.S. U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd emphasized that aiding a mass shooting, even from afar, carries severe legal consequences, with the FBI and its partners committed to holding accountable anyone who enables or assists in such acts of violence.
Adapted from: U.S. News Today on Fox News
