James Codey Bryant, 30, from Washington state, has been arrested by US authorities on charges of conspiring with Jesse Van Rootselaar to commit murder in a Canadian school shooting that killed six children and two adults this February. The pair allegedly communicated through the messaging service Omegle for about three years before the incident; Bryant provided financial support and technical advice to Van Rootselaar, including helping her start her car after killing family members beforehand. This case highlights the role of AI chatbots like ChatGPT in facilitating such planning, as Van Rootselaar had used it to discuss her plans without being reported by OpenAI until afterward.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-06,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On February 10, 2026, Jesse Van Rootselaar, an 18-year-old from Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, carried out a deadly school shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, killing five students and one educational assistant before taking their own life. At another location nearby, two more bodies were found—Rootselaar’s mother and half-brother. James Cody Bryant, a 30-year-old resident of Bellingham, Washington, was arrested on February 14 for allegedly conspiring with Rootselaar in the shooting. Bryant faces charges including providing tactical advice, financial assistance, and offering to live-stream the attack via Discord over six months leading up to the tragedy. The arrest highlights a broader investigation into how online platforms might facilitate such crimes.
Written for “Canada School Shooting Suspects Arrested” on 2026-10-08,
grounded in this article and the 13 other(s) covering the same event.
A surprise suspected accomplice has been arrested in connection with a mass school shooting in Canada that was made notorious after an 18-year-old allegedly killed six children after discussing it with the AI chatbot ChatGPT.
uncertain
old → suspect → chatbot
The US Department of Justice said Tuesday it had detained James Codey Bryant, 30, a resident of western Washington state, on a charge of conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country.
asserted
it → say → country
Bryant offered money and “technical advice” to the suspected shooter for six months leading up to the killings, the justice department alleged.
asserted
department → offer → killings
Canadian police have identified the suspect in this year’s massacre of eight people – including her mother and half-brother, as well as the six children, making it the second-deadliest school shooting in the country’s history – as Jesse Van Rootselaar, who has a history of mental health problems.
asserted
who → identify → problems
It had been known that Van Rootselaar had used ChatGPT to plan the attack, which took place in February.
asserted
which → know → February
The safety team at OpenAI, the company that owns the chatbot, flagged Van Rootselaar internally after she conducted conversations with it about gun violence, but the company did not alert police.
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company → own → police
It did reportedly close Van Rootselaar’s account, but she started a second one that was not closed.
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that → close → one
Victims’ families and the province of British Columbia have sued OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, for failing to report her behaviour.
asserted
families → sue → behaviour
It was not previously known publicly that Van Rootselaar was also talking to a human about her plans.
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Rootselaar → know → plans
In a joint press conference with the justice department and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) on Tuesday, authorities alleged that Bryant and Van Rootselaar met on the now-defunct messaging service Omegle about three years prior to the shooting and kept in contact.
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Bryant → allege → contact
Neil Floyd, acting US attorney, and W Mike Herrington, the special agent in charge for the FBI’s Seattle bureau, said they believe Bryant sent Van Rootselaar about $100 to buy new shoes and aabout $15 for a lighter.
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Bryant → act → lighter
Authorities said there is no indication so far that the two suspects ever met in person.
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suspects → say → person
According to an indictment obtained by CBC, Bryant was “knowingly and wilfully” conspiring with Van Rootselaar beginning in or before August 2025.
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Bryant → accord → August
That August, Bryant told Van Rootselaar the pair should “find a way to delete” their messages, and in mid-December Bryant suggested getting a VPN to avoid detection for “posting a shooting video online”, according to the court document reviewed by CBC.
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Bryant → tell → CBC
Police said that on several occasions Bryant tried to talk Van Rootselaar out of committing the attack, but did not contact law enforcement.
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Bryant → say → enforcement
They added that after Van Rootselaar shot and killed her mother and brother in their family home, she was unable to start the car.
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she → add → car
Bryant advised her on how to turn on the engine, thereby allowing the shooter to reach the school and execute the attack, authorities said.
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authorities → advise → attack
Bryant also allegedly agreed to livestream the mass shooting, which Harrington said police were not sure Van Rootselaar would have committed had Bryant not done so.
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Bryant → agree → shooting
It was not clear whether the suspect was represented by a lawyer.
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suspect → represent → lawyer
Bryant will be prosecuted in the US as a US citizen under an investigation by the FBI, which said it will continue working closely with Canadian authorities.
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it → prosecute → authorities
The Aporia
