U.S. grand jury indicts James Bryant in alleged Tumbler Ridge shooting conspiracy

A grand jury in Washington state has indicted 30-year-old James Bryant, an alleged co-conspirator in the February mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., on a charge of conspiracy to murder people in a foreign country. The Canadian Press confirmed in a report published yeaterday.

According to the report by The Canadian Press, the indictment establishes probable cause for prosecutors to pursue the case. Emily Langlie, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, said last week that an indictment would eliminate a preliminary hearing scheduled for Oct. 20. Bryant was denied bail a day before Wednesday’s indictment.

According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice, the indictment “details several overt acts that Bryant took to further the school shooting conspiracy.”

Bryant, a resident of Bellingham, Wash., is alleged to have agreed to record the shooting and broadcast it online, advised the shooter on potential targets and weapons, and sent Jesse Van Rootselaar money to purchase a lighter for use in an improvised explosive device.

In February, Van Rootselaar, 18, killed eight people in Tumbler Ridge, including five students and a teacher at a secondary school. She later died by suicide at the school on Feb. 10 as police closed in.

Bryant’s lawyer has said that Bryant goes by “Melody” and uses female pronouns.

The Justice Department said conspiracy to murder in a foreign country carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. However, the allegations against Bryant remain unproven.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Greenberg, with assistance from the Justice Department’s National Security Division.