Law enforcement in the northwestern United States has charged a suspect in connection with a deadly school shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada.
On Tuesday, prosecutors indicted James Cody Bryant, 30, a Washington state resident, on charges of conspiracy to commit murder abroad.
According to the charges, Bryant provided money and technical advice to the perpetrator through online conversations, beginning six months before the February 10 attack.
Speaking at a news conference in Seattle, Acting US Attorney Neil Floyd called the shooting "a horrific tragedy for that small community and for all of Canada." "Indeed, here in the Pacific Northwest, we feel the pain of the families devastated by this violence."
Canadian officials have described the attack as one of the country's worst mass shootings.
The perpetrator, Jesse Van Rootselaar, 18, a transgender woman, shot dead her mother and half-brother at their home before going to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and opening fire. Six people were killed, including five students, and 27 others were wounded. Van Rootselaar, a former student at the school, took her own life at the end of the attack.
Canadian police said at the time that Van Rootselaar had a history of mental health problems.
Advice and Financial Support Online
US prosecutors allege that Bryant and Van Rootselaar communicated through the social media service Discord and discussed how to carry out the mass shooting.
According to Floyd, the two discussed how to maximize attention after the attack, with Bryant reportedly agreeing to livestream it on Twitch. Bryant is also accused of providing money for items such as a pair of shoes for the attack and of instructing Van Rootselaar on how to start the car and drive to the school.
Prosecutors allege that Bryant, whom officials cited by AP and Reuters said identifies as female, admitted to investigators that she "was probably the only person who could have stopped the perpetrator."
Missed Warning Signs
In September, the government of British Columbia sued the technology company OpenAI in a California court, arguing that its ChatGPT platform played a role in the shooting.
According to Canadian officials' allegations, Van Rootselaar had been flagged by OpenAI's safety team for statements about gun violence, and her account was suspended. However, law enforcement was not notified about the matter.
In the lawsuit, British Columbia seeks financial compensation from the company to cover emergency response to the shooting and community recovery efforts. The suit also asks the court to require OpenAI to reform how it detects and handles users who threaten violence.
Two months after the shooting, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said he was "deeply sorry" that the company had not contacted law enforcement, in an open letter. "While I know words can never be enough, I believe an apology is necessary to acknowledge the irreversible loss and grief your community has endured," he wrote, adding that OpenAI would take steps to prevent such "tragedies" in the future.
The California lawsuit alleges that Altman's company never made the policy changes it promised. As of the filing, OpenAI faced more than 30 other lawsuits in California, where the company is headquartered, from victims' families, survivors and those affected by the Tumbler Ridge attack, alleging negligence.
