Washington resident charged with conspiring with Tumbler Ridge school shooter

A 30-year-old Washington state resident has been charged with conspiring with the teenager who killed eight people at a school in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, in February, according to the Associated Press and CNN.

It is the first known case of an alleged co-conspirator in the attack being charged, CNN reported. The suspect has not been convicted and is presumed innocent.

## The charge

Federal prosecutors charged the suspect, who lives in Bellingham, Washington, with conspiracy to murder persons in a foreign country, according to AP and CNN. KOMO News in Seattle reported that the charge carries a possible sentence of up to life in prison.

Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd described the charge as "novel" for this type of case, AP reported. The suspect was scheduled to appear in federal court Tuesday afternoon.

## What prosecutors allege

According to AP, the suspect and the 18-year-old shooter communicated on Discord for about six months before the attack. KOMO reported that the contact started in August 2025. CNN reported the two first met on Omegle about three years earlier.

Prosecutors allege the suspect:

- gave the shooter tactical advice and advice on hiding digital tracks, according to AP
- sent money, which CNN reported was more than $100, for items including a lighter and shoes
- helped with fixing a vehicle on the way to the attack, according to CNN
- agreed to livestream the shooting on Twitch, according to CNN and AP

CNN reported the two also discussed the suspect sending weapons, which the suspect ultimately did not do.

An FBI special agent in charge said that without the suspect's "misplaced loyalty and willingness to operate the livestream, we don't ultimately know if the shooter would have gone through with the crime," according to AP. The FBI official also said the suspect kept enabling the shooter "instead of de-escalating or reporting to law enforcement," CNN reported.

## The Tumbler Ridge shooting

On Feb. 10, 2026, the shooter killed eight people in Tumbler Ridge, a small mountain community in northeastern British Columbia. According to AP, the dead were the shooter's mother and stepbrother, five children ages 12 and 13, and an educational assistant. AP reported 25 people were wounded.

The shooter was later found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, AP reported.

## Why the case stands out

Prosecutors are using a U.S. federal law against conspiring to commit murder in another country to charge someone in the United States over an attack carried out in Canada.

The case also centers on online platforms popular with young people. According to the allegations, much of the contact took place on Discord, and the livestream was planned for Twitch.

## What happens next

The suspect's case will move through federal court in Washington state. Prosecutors will have to prove the conspiracy charge, and the suspect will have a chance to respond to the allegations in court.

Canadian authorities have not announced charges of their own against the suspect in connection with this arrest, based on the reports reviewed.