James Bryant, accused as an alleged co-conspirator in the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting, pleaded not guilty in U.S. court in Seattle and is set to stand trial on Dec. 21.
The Story
James Bryant, the woman accused in connection with an alleged conspiracy related to last February’s deadly mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., pleaded not guilty in a U.S. district court arraignment in Seattle on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026.
Bryant, who uses female pronouns and goes by the name Melody, was indicted by a grand jury last week for conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country, according to the criminal complaint.
The complaint alleges Bryant colluded with shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar online, including helping set up an attempted livestream of the murders. It also alleges Bryant advised the 18-year-old Van Rootselaar where to carry out the attack and sent the shooter money to buy a lighter for an explosive device.
Van Rootselaar killed eight victims last February, including five students and an educational assistant at the local secondary school, before she fatally shot herself as police closed in.
Bryant has been denied bail, and the accusations against her remain unproven; her trial is scheduled to begin on Dec. 21.
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