Alleged Tumbler Ridge shooting accomplice to plead in Seattle federal court

James Bryant, identified as a 30-year-old who goes by the name Melody and uses female pronouns, is scheduled to plead at an arraignment in a Seattle courthouse. Federal prosecutors allege that Bryant collaborated online with Jesse Van Rootselaar, the gunman responsible for the February mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, where eight people were killed before the shooter died by self-inflicted gunshot. The complaint claims Bryant helped arrange a livestream of the killings, provided advice on the school venue, and transferred money for a lighter used in an explosive device.

A Washington state grand jury indicted Bryant on conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country, a charge punishable by up to life imprisonment. He remains in custody without bail, and the Justice Department notes the accusations have yet to be proven.