The transgender American woman accused of being the online puppet master to a depraved trans mass murderer spent six months helping craft and execute one of Canada’s most horrific school shootings, US prosecutors allege.
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prosecutors → accuse → shootings
A scowling James Cody Bryant, 30, who identifies as female and reportedly goes by Melody, appeared in a Washington court after being arrested on Tuesday over charges of conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country.
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who → scowl → country
Bryant, of Bellingham, near the Canadian border, was the alleged accomplice providing advice, money and technical assistance to transgender killer Jesse Van Rootselaar, 18, up until the morning of, and during, the massacre unfolding 750 miles away.
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Bryant → allege → massacre
Van Rootselaar was born male but had been transitioning to female for six years before she slaughtered her mother and stepbrother, 11, in the remote British Columbia community of Tumbler Ridge on February 10.
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she → bear → February
She then drove to a secondary school and killed five children, aged 12 and 13, and an educational assistant, while 27 others were wounded.
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others → drive → children
The pair met years earlier on the now-defunct chat site Omegle, an anonymous online website that randomly paired users in one-on-one text and video chat sessions.
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that → meet → sessions
What began as sporadic online conversations developed into something far darker as conversations continued in Discord and Bryant allegedly offered sickening tactical advice, from target selection and ways to conceal the plan to helping promote the horrific livestream online, according to the FBI complaint.
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Bryant → begin → complaint
For six months before the shooting, they were in almost daily contact, with Bryant allegedly advising Van Rootselaar on ways to maximize the body count, like that she 'should have a handgun… this is smart.'
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this → advise → handgun
'Hallways also mean a lot of ways people can escape.
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people → mean → ways
Wide open spaces means numbers,' Bryant allegedly wrote.
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Bryant → mean → numbers
Transgender woman James 'Cody' Bryant, 30, who goes by 'Melody' was arrested Tuesday after federal prosecutors accused her of communicating extensively with 18-year-old shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar (pictured) in the months before the February 10 attack that left eight victims dead and 27 others wounded
The two had met on Omegle, years prior but their communication was not consistent until August 2025 where they began discussing Van Rootselaar's (pictured) plan for the shooting
Van Rootselaar (pictured) and Bryant had numerous conversations relating to Van Rootselaar’s planning and preparation for the murders, including topics of potential attack locations, the way the attack would unfold and how to conceal the plan
Van Rootselaar told Bryant that she had stolen guns and ammunition from her family’s gun safe and was hiding them in her room in preparation for a mass shooting, according to the FBI.
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she → go → FBI
Van Rootselaar also allegedly informed Bryant about the types of guns and accessories she possessed, including a 3D-printed foregrip, firearm magazines, and a 'switch' for the SKS gun – a gas-operated, semi-automatic carbine.
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she → inform → gun
'I think it'd be pretty hard to escape me with extended magazines on my vector, the recoil is just so light that I really don't think I'd miss,' Van Rootselaar allegedly wrote in August, 2025.
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Rootselaar → think → August
'I want people to hide because that means I can play hide and seek.
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I → want → hide
it's hard to bold down a hallway to escape when an accurate barrage of fire is being sent down it with ease.'
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barrage → bold → ease
Authorities say Bryant sent Van Rootselaar money for items for the attack, including $150 shoes for her birthday, stickers to decorate the firearms, and a lighter that prosecutors say was repurposed in a makeshift explosive device that was detonated during the massacre.
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that → say → massacre
In one exchange, Van Rootselaar allegedly told Bryant: 'I want the cute shoes for when I do my violence,' to which Bryant joked back: 'I guess I can’t really be blamed for contributing to your outfit in that case lmao.'
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I → tell → case
When Van Rootselaar asked if she would still attract fans after committing murders, Bryant replied: 'I think you definitely would.'
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you → ask → murders
Throughout the months leading up to the killings, Van Rootselaar allegedly begged Bryant to make sure the livestream happened.
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livestream → lead → Bryant
Bryant allegedly sent Van Rootselaar money to purchase a lighter that would be used to construct an explosive device (pictured) that was later detonated during the attack
Bryant also allegedly sent Van Rootselaar money on other occasions, one of which was used to fund stickers to decorate a shotgun used in the attack
After Van Rootselaar (pictured) shot and killed her mother and brother in their family home, she was unable to start the car.
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she → send → car
Bryant advised her on how to turn on the engine, thereby allowing the shooter to reach the school and execute the attack, authorities said
'Pls tho I rlly do beg that u at least give a sincere try at being there for my final moments n manage to share them,' she allegedly wrote.
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she → advise → them
'I bought the whole camer holder thing n everything.
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I → buy → thing
I don’t wanna be let down.
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I → let → ?
Bryant allegedly answered: 'I will.
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I → answer → ?
In another exchange, Bryant allegedly discussed covering their tracks before the mass shooting, saying: 'I think we should find a way to delete all our messages'.
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we → discuss → messages
According to the complaint, Bryant was still communicating with Van Rootselaar during the massacre.
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Bryant → accord → massacre
After Van Rootselaar allegedly killed her mother, 39-year-old Jennifer Jacobs, and her brother, Emmett Jacobs, 11, at their residence at 2pm
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Rootselaar → kill → residence
, investigators say she had trouble getting the vehicle started en route to the school.
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vehicle → say → school
Bryant allegedly helped her get the car running over text instructions.
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car → help → instructions
After starting the car successfully, Van Rootselaar wrote: 'I’m going now.
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I → start → car
I shot them.'
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I → shoot → them
Bryant allegedly then began the livestream broadcast and responded: 'Watching now.'
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Bryant → begin → broadcast
The subsequent Twitch livestream lasted only around 20 seconds, and was viewed by one account, investigators say.
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investigators → last → account
It allegedly showed Van Rootselaar sitting inside the vehicle with firearms cradled in her lap before she headed toward the school.
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she → show → school
'We certainly know the shooter was concerned that not enough people would see the livestream without Bryant broadcasting it,' special agent in charge of the FBI’s Seattle office W Mike Herrington said.
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Herrington → know → office
According to the complaint, Bryant confirmed she was receiving the livestream moments before the attack.
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she → accord → attack
The complaint says Bryant at times tried to discourage Van Rootselaar from carrying out the attack but did not contact law enforcement and agreed to handle the livestream shortly before the shooting
'[Van Rootselaar] was depending on Bryant to amplify the livestream because the shooter did not have many followers on social media,' he continued.
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he → say → media
Police say once at the school, Van Rootselaar tried unsuccessfully to gain entry but was deterred by locked doors, entering instead through a second door on the side of the building.
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Rootselaar → say → building
Van Rootselaar then deployed the improvised explosive device she had allegedly concocted with Bryant in the library, before firing through locked classroom doors and exchanging gunfire with officers.
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she → deploy → officers
She then retreated into an empty room where she turned the gun on herself.
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she → retreat → herself
…and 15 more, not listed.
The Aporia
