U.S. investigators say a 30-year-old man in Washington state gave advice and money to the Tumbler Ridge mass killer and even offered to livestream the attack on Facebook.
The FBI says the man had the information and the ability to alert police, but instead encouraged the murders, advising killer Jesse Van Rootselaar on how to start her car as she headed to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School after first killing her mother and brother at their home.
James Cody Bryant is charged with conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country.
The complaint filed by the FBI says Bryant gave tactical advice "on how to carry out the murders," and confirmed that he was watching video footage from Van Rootselaar as the attack took place.
The complaint also reveals for the first time that Van Rootselaar allegedly deployed a crude improvised explosive device in the high school where she shot dead five students and an educational assistant.
The complaint also shows photographs sent by the killer to Bryant on the morning of the murders, saying she was dressed for the attack, with a picture showing someone in a black miniskirt and fishnet stockings holding a rifle.
This report by The Canadian was first published by The Canadian Press on Oct. 6, 2026.
