Muhammad Amanullah
Date: October 7, 2026 The True Post (Web News) —Court documents filed in the U.S. state of Washington have revealed further disturbing details about the alleged planning behind the horrific shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, in February this year. Nine people, including the attacker, were killed in the incident, while several others were affected.
U.S. authorities have arrested 30-year-old James Cody Bryant and charged him with conspiracy to murder persons abroad. The charge carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Online Contact with the Shooter
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Bryant was in contact with 18-year-old Jesse Veen Rotselaar through the social media platform Discord. Court documents allege that the communication between the two began in August 2025 or earlier and continued intermittently.
According to investigative records, the two first met online approximately three years ago. They remained in contact at various times afterward.
Investigation into Discord Messages
According to the documents, Discord voluntarily shared relevant information with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), after which the information was passed to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Two days after the incident, Homeland Security investigators questioned Bryant at his home in Bellingham, Washington. The FBI later also questioned Bryant at the beginning of March.
Bryant did not authorize the release of his conversations with Veen Rotselaar to the FBI. Authorities subsequently obtained a warrant to search his Discord account in Washington state. Investigators found multiple conversations between the two.
Dangerous Conversation in August
According to court documents, on August 8, approximately six months before the Tumbler Ridge shooting, Veen Rotselaar referred to deadly shootings that had occurred in Canadian history and engaged in a conversation that appeared to indicate an intention to set a new record in this regard.
According to the documents, Bryant responded by giving advice about killing as many people as possible during an attack. The court record identifies these messages as important evidence in the alleged planning.
Live Streaming of the Attack
Investigative records also revealed that Veen Rotselaar had asked Bryant for assistance in livestreaming the attack.
Bryant told investigators that the two had agreed to do so. According to him, the purpose was to satisfy Veen Rotselaar, and he had also tested equipment that would be used for the livestream.
This detail raises further questions about the nature of the communication and possible planning between the two before the incident.
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Attempt to Delete Messages
Court documents further state that around August 11, Bryant told Veen Rotselaar that they should find a way to delete their conversations and messages.
According to investigators, this conversation took place several months before the shooting. Discord records obtained later helped authorities examine the communication between the two and the conversations that took place before the events.
Proceedings in U.S. Court
James Cody Bryant appeared in the U.S. District Court in Seattle on October 6, 2026, where proceedings concerning the charges against him took place. Records presented in court included details of his alleged communications and activities during the several months leading up to the Tumbler Ridge shooting.
The documents released by authorities have given the investigation a new direction, as they indicate that the accused had online contact with the shooter before the attack and that discussions related to the incident had taken place several months before the shooting.
The incident in Tumbler Ridge shocked people across Canada. The documents now presented in a U.S. court are providing further details about the alleged planning, online communications and preparations that took place before the tragedy.
