An FBI court complaint alleges James Bryant helped Jesse Van Rootselaar test a livestream and carry out the Feb. 10, 2026 mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.
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An FBI complaint filed in U.S. district court alleges that James Bryant, who lives in Bellingham, Washington, provided instruction to shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar and helped set up a livestream in the lead-up to the Feb. 10, 2026 mass killings in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., where eight people died.
According to an affidavit by FBI special agent Joseph Rico, Bryant and Van Rootselaar met online about three years before the attack. Rico’s complaint says that after they lost contact while Van Rootselaar was institutionalized following a room fire, they resumed communication and spoke daily during the six months before the killings.
The complaint alleges the pair communicated through Discord and that Van Rootselaar used two accounts. Rico says Bryant encouraged and advised Van Rootselaar for months, including helping arrange a livestream to broadcast the murders, and that Bryant admitted assisting with testing the livestream equipment.
Rico’s complaint says Bryant discussed gear used for the attack, including a tactical chest rig designed to carry additional bullet magazines. The filing alleges that during a livestream test, Van Rootselaar mounted a cellphone to the chest rig.
The affidavit also includes alleged chat messages from August 2025 about possible target locations. Rico’s complaint says Bryant told Van Rootselaar that hallways and corners could help people escape, while wide open spaces could affect numbers, and that Bryant advised her she “should have a handgun … this is smart.”
The complaint says Bryant told the FBI that Van Rootselaar became increasingly angry and suicidal after she was institutionalized for setting her room on fire, and that she spoke about using guns to murder her family members and others because she felt mistreated. Rico’s filing also alleges Bryant believed Van Rootselaar fixated on mass shootings and watched livestreamed recordings of past attacks.
The affidavit describes video and device-related evidence tied to the day of the killings. Rico says CCTV footage shows Van Rootselaar entering Tumbler Ridge Secondary School through a side entrance, beginning to shoot at students and staff, and later allegedly lighting an explosive device before throwing it near the school’s computer room and library. The complaint alleges the device ignited and left blast marks.
Rico’s complaint says Van Rootselaar then tried to enter other parts of the school but was deterred by locked doors, and that she fired numerous shots into several doors before police entered. The filing alleges Van Rootselaar retreated into an empty room and shot herself dead.
The complaint also alleges Bryant helped post a livestream on the day of the attack that lasted about 20 seconds on the Twitch platform. Rico says the livestream showed Van Rootselaar sitting in a vehicle with a rifle and another long gun in her lap, and that during the stream Van Rootselaar told Bryant, “I’m going now. Fr (for real). Live. I shot them,” while Bryant responded, “Watching now.”
Rico’s affidavit includes photos of firearms and related items. The complaint alleges Van Rootselaar posed with a rifle in a photo taken on the morning of the attack, and that the rifle appeared to have a suppressor with decorations in blue, white and pink like the transgender pride flag. It also alleges another photo shows a shotgun decorated with similar colours.
The filing further alleges that about six months before the shooting, Van Rootselaar told Bryant she had stolen guns and ammunition from her family’s gun safe and hid them in her room in preparation for a mass shooting. It also alleges she told Bryant she convinced another person to purchase ammunition on her behalf.
In describing the planning, Rico’s complaint says Van Rootselaar discussed possible locations with Bryant before settling on Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, including comments that a place such as “Walmart or Costco” would be “too wide and open,” while she preferred a mall and said she wanted to avoid a school. The affidavit says Van Rootselaar sent Bryant a map of Northern Lights College in Dawson Creek, adding it seemed to offer a “best chance” of shooting before police arrived.
Bryant faces a charge of conspiracy to murder in a foreign country, according to Rico’s complaint. The allegations in the filing have not been tested in court.
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