2026-10-07 · Daily Mail
🔮 Transgender woman James 'Cody' Bryant, 30, who goes by 'Melody' was arrested Tuesday after federal prosecutors accused her of communicating extensively with 18-year-old shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar (pictured) in the months before the February 10 attack that left eight victims dead and 27 others wounded
The two had met on Omegle, years prior but their communication was not consistent until August 2025 where they began discussing Van Rootselaar's (pictured) plan for the shooting
Van Rootselaar (pictured) and Bryant had numerous conversations relating to Van Rootselaar’s planning and preparation for the murders, including topics of potential attack locations, the way the attack would unfold and how to conceal the plan
Van Rootselaar told Bryant that she had stolen guns and ammunition from her family’s gun safe and was hiding them in her room in preparation for a mass shooting, according to the FBI. mixed