US suspect charged with aiding shooting
US prosecutors say a Washington resident helped prepare the attack in Canada for months.
A 30-year-old resident of Bellingham in the US state of Washington has been charged with conspiring to kill people in another country. Prosecutors say James B. gave the suspect in the shooting in Tumbler Ridge, Canada, advice, money and technical assistance.
B. was arrested on Tuesday and is accused of involvement in the shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia on 10 February. According to the US Department of Justice, six people were killed and others seriously injured in the attack. The charge does not concern a new attack, but the alleged preparation for and support of the earlier shooting.
According to US prosecutors, B. and Jesse V. had been in regular contact via Discord since at least August 2025. They are said to have discussed an attack in which several people would be killed. B. is alleged to have agreed to record the attack and broadcast it via a livestream.
Prosecutors further say that B. carried out technical tests to make the livestream work, transferred money for items that were to be used in the attack and advised on carrying out the plan. B. is also alleged to have advised deleting messages and using a VPN to make the contact less visible.
US authorities say that at various points B. tried to dissuade V. from carrying out the attack, but ultimately did not contact the police. Shortly before the shooting, B. is said to have confirmed that the livestream connection was working. According to prosecutors, B. also provided assistance when V. had difficulty driving a car to the school.
The charge is based on a criminal complaint and therefore does not yet contain proven facts. B. is presumed innocent until a judge decides otherwise. US prosecutors have charged B. under a federal provision concerning a murder plot abroad, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. According to AP, B. remained in custody after an initial hearing and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for 20 October.
The case is being investigated by the FBI, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Canadian police previously said that the investigation into the shooting was still under way and that digital data from several devices and online accounts was being analysed.
The arrest turns the shooting into a cross-border criminal case. The US complaint focuses on B.'s alleged role; the public sources used have not reported a decision on a separate prosecution in Canada. This leaves open the question of how the two countries will organise further prosecution and the sharing of digital evidence.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- A US suspect has been charged in connection with a shooting in Canada.
- The charge alleges that online communication, financial assistance and technical support played a role.
- The FBI and the RCMP are cooperating on the investigation.
- The suspect's guilt has not yet been established.
Left
Arguments From this perspective, the case shows that online platforms should intervene more quickly when faced with credible threats and that governments should invest more in prevention, victim support and cross-border digital investigations.
Values Prevention, public safety, protection of young people and the responsibility of technology companies.
Consequences Without better prevention, online communities can strengthen plans; insufficient oversight can lead to missed signals and new victims.
Centre
Arguments The institutional approach emphasises that cooperation is necessary, but that prosecution must be based on verifiable digital evidence and a transparent judicial process. New rules should be targeted and proportionate.
Values The rule of law, privacy, proportionality and international cooperation.
Consequences A careful case can clarify the precedent it sets; rushed legislation can unnecessarily restrict privacy and free communication.
Right
Arguments This perspective emphasises individual responsibility, tough sentences for people who facilitate violence and better cooperation between security services across borders.
Values Order, deterrence, responsibility and the protection of society.
Consequences A robust prosecution can deter future helpers; weak enforcement can make online preparation and threats from abroad more attractive.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The article's core is supported by an official charge from the US Department of Justice and an independent AP report. Uncertainties about guilt and any prosecution in Canada are explicitly presented as such.
- confirmed A 30-year-old resident of Bellingham was arrested on 6 October 2026. — Confirmed by the US Department of Justice. source
- confirmed The suspect is charged with conspiring to kill people in another country. — This is stated in the federal criminal complaint. source
- confirmed B. had been in contact with Jesse V. via Discord from August 2025 at the latest. — Mentioned in the charge and the AP report. source
- confirmed B. allegedly provided advice, money and technical assistance and prepared a livestream. — These are allegations that the Department of Justice derives from the criminal complaint. source
- confirmed Six people were killed and others seriously injured in the attack in Tumbler Ridge. — The number and description appear in the US Department of Justice press release. source
- confirmed The charge carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. — Mentioned in the official press release. source
- confirmed The case is being investigated by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the RCMP. — Mentioned by the US Department of Justice. source
- confirmed The Canadian investigation into digital data was still under way in July. — Confirmed in an RCMP statement dated 7 July 2026. source
Editor's note
The arrest, the federal charge and the cooperation with the RCMP described by US authorities are certain. The contents of the criminal complaint consist of allegations and must still be tested by a judge. No separate Canadian charge was reported in the sources used.Sources
- Bellingham resident charged with conspiring to commit murder in connection with school shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C. — U.S. Department of Justice
- Washington resident conspired with Canadian school shooter before attack, officials say — Associated Press
- Statement on Tumbler Ridge criminal investigation and recent announcement by the BC Attorney General — Royal Canadian Mounted Police
More on this in Dutch media
- NU.nl — „canada tumbler ridge”
- De Telegraaf — „canada tumbler ridge”
- AD — „canada tumbler ridge”