30-Year-Old Washington Man Charged in Canada School Shooting Plot

A 30-year-old man from western Washington state is now charged with conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country, the U.S. Department of Justice said Tuesday, in a case tied to one of Canada's deadliest school shootings.

James Codey Bryant was taken into custody and accused of offering money and what prosecutors called "technical advice" to the suspected shooter for six months before the attack, according to the Department of Justice, as reported by The Guardian. The announcement came at a joint press conference with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

What charge does James Codey Bryant face?

Bryant faces a single federal count of conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country, the Justice Department said. Officials allege he and the primary suspect first connected roughly three years before the shooting on Omegle, a messaging service that has since shut down, and stayed in contact afterward.

Who is the primary suspect in the shooting?

The shooting took place in February and left eight people dead, including the attacker's mother and half-brother along with six children, making it the second-deadliest school shooting in Canadian history, according to the Guardian's reporting. Canadian police have identified the suspect as Jesse Van Rootselaar, 18, who has a documented history of mental health problems. It was not previously known publicly that Van Rootselaar had also been communicating with a human accomplice about the plan, the Guardian reported.

What role did ChatGPT play in planning the attack?

Van Rootselaar used ChatGPT, the chatbot built by OpenAI, to help plan the attack, according to the Guardian. OpenAI's safety team flagged her internally after she had conversations about gun violence, but the company did not alert police. The company reportedly closed that account, but Van Rootselaar opened a second one that was never shut down.

How has OpenAI responded, and what lawsuits have followed?

Victims' families and the province of British Columbia have sued OpenAI and its chief executive, Sam Altman, alleging the company failed to report Van Rootselaar's behavior before the shooting, the Guardian reported. No response from OpenAI is included in the available reporting on the Bryant arrest.

By the numbers

• 30 — age of James Codey Bryant, the newly arrested suspect
• 18 — age of Jesse Van Rootselaar, the alleged shooter
• 8 — total victims killed, including six children
• 6 months — period during which Bryant allegedly gave "technical advice" before the attack
• ~3 years — time since Bryant and Van Rootselaar allegedly first met online, on Omegle

What happens next in the case?

Neil Floyd, acting U.S. attorney, and W. Mike Herrington, identified at the press conference alongside RCMP officials, laid out the allegations against Bryant but did not disclose an extradition timeline or additional charges in the material reviewed. The Guardian noted the civil suits against OpenAI remain separate from the criminal case against Bryant and have not been resolved.

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