A Seattle district court judge has denied bail to James Cody Bryant, accused of conspiring with the Tumbler Ridge shooter. Prosecutors cited online communications and logistical support as reasons for detention.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
A district court judge in Seattle has refused bail for James Cody Bryant, a 30-year-old resident of Bellingham, Wash., who is accused of conspiring with the shooter in the Tumbler Ridge, B.C., killings. Bryant was arrested on Oct. 6 and charged with one count of conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country.
Prosecutors allege that Bryant encouraged and supported Tumbler Ridge Secondary School shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar in the lead-up to the Feb. 10 attack. In that incident, Van Rootselaar killed five students and one staff member at the campus after shooting and killing her mother and stepbrother at their home.
According to court documents, police allege that in online interactions on the social media platform Discord, Bryant agreed to livestream the attack, gave Van Rootselaar money, and provided months of logistical support. Assistant United States attorney Todd Greenberg argued that Bryant posed a flight risk and a danger to the public.
"It does not get much more serious or dangerous for the community," Greenberg said in a memorandum filed Tuesday in support of a detention order.
Greenberg stated that Bryant's participation in the charged murder conspiracy took place primarily through online communications. "There are simply no conditions of release that can be fully and effectively enforced to ensure that Bryant does not pose a continuing threat to the community through online behavior," he said.
The prosecution highlighted specific interactions alleged to have occurred between Bryant and Van Rootselaar. On Feb. 9, the day before the shooting, Van Rootselaar reportedly told Bryant she didn't want to carry out the shooting if she didn't "know for certain" someone would livestream it. Bryant replied, "I literally fixed my sleep schedule to help me stay up to be there after work."
A livestream was initiated in the moments before the attack but failed after about 20 seconds due to technical issues. "The livestream's failure was despite Bryant's best efforts to make it happen," Greenberg said.
Prosecutors also pointed to a payment of $14.33 Bryant sent to Van Rootselaar's PayPal ID to enable her to purchase a lighter to ignite an explosive device constructed for use in the attack. The payment was reversed because the account had been deactivated. "Van Rootselaar ultimately deployed this explosive device," Greenberg said. "Although $14.33 may not be a lot of money, it speaks volumes about the seriousness of the offense and the defendant's character that Bryant was willing to help purchase the ignition source for an explosive device that was to be used to attack schoolchildren."
Assistant federal public defenders Gregory Murphy and Dennis Carroll argued for conditional release, stating that Bryant had co-operated with investigators in the days following the attack. "She expressed horror at Van Rootselaar's crimes," they said.
The defense noted that law enforcement had acknowledged Bryant repeatedly tried to dissuade Van Rootselaar from carrying out the attack and pointed to their client's clean criminal record. "There is no evidence that she has ever personally committed an act of violence. There is no evidence that she is in contact with anyone else planning an act of violence," Murphy and Carroll said.
Defense counsel underscored Bryant's stable residence, close ties to the community, and long-term employment at a local McDonald's restaurant. They disputed Greenberg's mental health concerns, arguing that although Bryant had "briefly" seen a psychologist during high school and had taken medication for panic attacks, there was no evidence to support claims of suicidality. "There is no evidence she has expressed a thought of harming herself in the last fourteen months. There is no evidence she ever has made plans to hurt herself," the application read.
Magistrate Judge Mary Alice Theiler described Bryant as a "tragically vulnerable, unstable individual" with serious mental health concerns and substance abuse problems. She added that release would require constant supervision to prevent Bryant from accessing the internet, something she did not believe authorities could achieve.
Bryant, whose lawyers say uses she/her pronouns and goes by the name Melody, was dressed in prison greens and wept throughout the proceedings.
The denial of bail underscores the severity with which US authorities are treating the alleged online facilitation of the Tumbler Ridge attack. The case highlights the specific allegations regarding digital coordination, including attempts to livestream the violence and financial support for weapons components, which prosecutors argue cannot be mitigated by standard release conditions.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
The day's checked news, by email
One short email a day with the top stories. Free, and you can unsubscribe in one click.
Or follow for the latest news:
Houthi militants launched fresh missile strikes across Saudi Arabia, causing a limited fire at Aramco's Dhahran complex and injuring four in Riyadh. The escalation follows deadly weekend attacks on King Khalid International Airport.
WorldTrending
The remnants of Hurricane Isaias spawned 13 tornadoes across North Carolina on Sunday, breaking the state record for tropical tornadoes. Damage was reported in Wake, Chatham, Cumberland, and other counties.