SEATTLE (AP) — A Washington state resident charged with conspiracy in one of the worst school shootings in Canada’s history has been ordered detained pending further hearings in the case.
Melody Bryant, also known as James Cody Bryant, of Bellingham, Washington, was charged this month with conspiring to murder people in a foreign country. Investigators said she provided assistance to Jesse Van Rootselaar, who killed eight people and wounded 27 in the mountain community of Tumbler Ridge in February.
Bryant declined to report Van Rootselaar's plans, agreed to distribute a livestream of the attack, provided money and shared advice on how to delete online messages to keep the plot a secret, according to a criminal complaint filed this month in U.S. District Court in Seattle.
At a detention hearing Tuesday, Magistrate Judge Mary Alice Theiler said she did not believe there were any conditions — such as internet restrictions — that could ensure the safety of the community if Bryant were to be released pending trial.
Bryant has not entered a plea, and her public defender, Greg Murphy, said in court he has not yet been provided with evidence needed to evaluate the government's case against her.
Murphy argued for her release pending trial, noting that federal agents first interviewed Bryant just days after the attack and allowed her to remain free in the ensuing seven months.
Even after filing the complaint against her on Oct. 2, the government waited for four days to take her into custody, Murphy noted.
“There is no evidence that suggests any new danger to the communty in the last seven months since the government first interviewed her,” Murphy said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Greenberg told the judge that the criminal charge carried a presumption that Bryant would be detained.
“The defendant was, over the course of months, in daily communication with someone who was planning a mass murder event in British Columbia,” Greenberg said. “Bryant chose not to intervene.”
Authorities say Van Rootselaar killed her mother and stepbrother at home before attacking a nearby secondary school in Tumbler Ridge, killing five children ages 12 and 13 as well as an educational assistant. Van Rootselaar was later found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Tumbler Ridge in the Canadian Rockies is more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) northeast of Vancouver, British Columbia, near the provincial border with Alberta. The provincial government website lists Tumbler Ridge Secondary School as having 175 students from Grades 7 to 12.
The families of victims are suing artificial intelligence company OpenAI in U.S. federal court, seeking to hold the ChatGPT maker responsible for failing to alert police to the shooter’s alarming interactions with the chatbot.
In this photo taken with a smartphone, Elija Rain, the assistant commissioner of the British Columbia Royal Canadian Mounted Police, speaks to the media on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, in Seattle. Standing next to Rain are Mike Herrington, the FBI special agent in charge, left, and Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd, right. (AP Photo/Manuel Valdes)
In this photo taken with a smartphone, Mike Herrington, the FBI special agent in charge, speaks to the media on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, in Seattle. Standing next to Herrington are Elija Rain, the assistant commissioner of the British Columbia Royal Canadian Mounted Police, left, and Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd, right. (AP Photo/Manuel Valdes)
Barcelona survived a scare against Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday. But Bayern Munich was stunned by a late equalizer from Viking in a 3-3 draw in Norway.
Arsenal rolled over Lille and it was more misery for Manchester United.
Barcelona's 100% start to the season was under threat down 1-0 to Galatasaray in Istanbul, but the Spanish champion rallied to a 4-1 win.
Bayern was in even more trouble against Viking, trailing 2-0 at halftime before Harry Kane turned the game around with two goals after the break. Luis Diaz looked to have completed the comeback, but a red card for Michael Olise and a 90th minute goal from Herman Haugen provided another twist.
Arsenal cruised to a 3-0 win at home over Lille and Atletico Madrid piled more pressure on United coach Michael Carrick with a 2-0 win at the Metropolitano.
Inter Milan fell to a surprise 4-3 home loss to Club Brugge, and Villarreal beat Napoli 3-1.
It's 10 straight wins for Barcelona after it maintained its perfect record in all competitions despite early trouble in Turkey.
Aleksey Batrakov gave Galatasaray the lead before his team had a second goal ruled out for a tight offside. Joao Cancelo’s goal leveled the score just before halftime and it was all Barcelona after that with goals from Fermin Lopez, Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi.
A bizarre sending-off for Olise paved the way for Norwegian team Viking to rescue a draw in its first Champions League home game since 1992.
Shortly after Bayern went ahead 3-2, Olise picked up two yellow cards in quick succession — the second for tossing the ball at opponent Zlatko Tripic while the referee was still booking him for his first foul.
Tripic then provided the cross that allowed Haugen to head in the equalizer in the 90th minute.
Lisandro Martinez hit out at Manchester United’s hierarchy after the club extended its winless run to five games.
Michael Carrick’s team has won just two games in all competitions this term and fell to a fourth loss after goals from Pablo Barrios in the first minute and Ademola Lookman in the second half.
Speaking afterward, Martinez was critical of United’s offseason recruitment.
“I have to control myself a lot. But sometimes it’s a reflection in the mirror of how is our club at the moment,” the Argentina defender told broadcaster TNT Sports. “We did a fantastic season last season. And now we expect more from the top, from up, to bring more players to compete because many teams bring many players as well, and today also Atletico they have an amazing team and they deserved to win today.
“I expect more from our technical director. I would have to be honest, as the players, we have to do more, but it’s just important when you make a strong squad to be ready for this kind of night.”
In London, Bukayo Saka stepped off the bench to score a goal in Arsenal's 3-0 win over Lille.
The England forward came on after 65 minutes at the Emirates and within two minutes set up at goal for Eberechi Eze. Four minutes later he was on the score sheet himself.
Jurrien Timber had given Arsenal the lead in the 64th.
Inter was on the losing end of a seven-goal thriller against Brugge, which pulled off an upset in Milan.
Nicolo Tresoldi is emerging as one of the brightest prospects in Europe and he enhanced his reputation with a hat trick for the Belgian visitors.
The Germany under 21 international opened the scoring with a first-half penalty and completed his hat trick with two more after the break.
Lautaro Martinez scored twice for Inter.
There was also defeat for Napoli at Villarreal despite going ahead early on through Amir Rrahmani.
Azerbaijani outsider Sabah claimed its first win in the league phase of the competition by beating Slavia Prague 2-0.
Second-half goals from Kaheem Parris and Joy-Lance Mickels secured the historic win in Baku. The club was only founded nine years ago.
Sporting Lisbon also sealed a 2-0 win at Lens through goals from Luis Suarez and Issa Doumbia.
Brajan Gruda’s first Champions League goal lifted Leipzig to a 1-0 win over PSV Eindhoven to rebound after a heavy opening loss to newcomer Como. Leipzig keeper Maarten Vandevoordt earlier saved a penalty from PSV’s Ivan Perisic.
James Ellingworth contributed from Dusseldorf
James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
See AP’s full soccer coverage here
Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez, left, scores his side's opening goal during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Inter Milan and Club Brugge in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
Atletico Madrid's Pablo Barrios celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Manchester United in Madrid, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Bayern Munich's Harry Kane celebrates scoring during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Viking and Bayern Munich in Stavanger, Norway, Tuesday Oct. 13, 2026. (Carina Johansen/NTB via AP)
Viking's Peter Christiansen, left, celebrates scoring during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Viking and Bayern Munich in Stavanger, Norway, Tuesday Oct. 13, 2026. (Carina Johansen/NTB via AP)
Barcelona's Joao Cancelo, right, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's first goal during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Galatasaray and Barcelona in Istanbul, Turkey, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Bayern Munich's Harry Kane, front, attends a training session in Stavanger, Norway, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, ahead of the Champions League soccer match between Viking Stavanger and FC Bayern Munich. (Lise Aserud/NTB Scanpix via AP)
Barcelona's Gabriel Jesus celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Getafe in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
From left, Barcelona's Jules Kounde, Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, Barcelona's Anthony Gordon, Barcelona's Rodrigo celebrate after scoring during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Getafe in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
