Tumbler Ridge conspiracy complaint puts focus on messaging and social media firms

NDP Leader David Eby says social media and other companies must be held accountable to report conversations about causing harm after an FBI complaint detailed extensive online conversations involving the Tumbler Ridge shooter as she planned her deadly attack.

The complaint against James Bryant, who is charged in the U.S. with conspiracy to murder, says the pair spent months discussing tactics, locations and weaponry for the attack via the Discord messaging platform before attempting to livestream the murders on Twitch.

Mike Harrington, special agent in charge with the FBI in Seattle, told a news conference on Tuesday that shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar met Bryant after being “randomly matched” about three years ago on the now-defunct Omegle messaging app.

Van Rootselaar was about 15 at the time, while Bryant was about 27, and the app that enabled conversations with strangers was closed down not long afterwards over lawsuits about child safety.

Megan Kay, senior communications manager with Twitch, says it’s co-operating with law enforcement but declined to go into details.

Eby says government lawyers will be looking at the Bryant complaint and legal obligations to report wrongdoing need to be put on tech companies “because they will not and have not done the right thing.”

The B.C. government is already suing artificial intelligence firm OpenAI over its alleged role in helping Van Rootselaar plan the Feb. 10 attack that claimed the lives of eight victims.

“While the police investigation continues, and I’m glad it’s holding people accountable who were involved, and while that continues, we need Ottawa to step up and impose minimum regulation,” said Eby, speaking Wednesday in his role as the premier at an unrelated B.C. election campaign news conference in Surrey.

“And yes, not just on OpenAI. But on all of the social media companies, on all the AI companies, that if you become aware of a conversation between users about causing harm, violence against children or anybody, that you should have an obligation to report that to police, just like anybody who overheard a conversation applauding violence in their community would naturally call 911.”

Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd told the news conference on Tuesday in Seattle that the chats were provided by Discord to the FBI after it obtained subpoenas and search warrants.

Discord did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Federal Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said Wednesday that the information in the FBI complaint was “rather outrageous and seriously worrisome.”

“It speaks to broader issues around the use of social media, the use of collaboration online, issues that I think we’re trying to address through Bill C34,” he told reporters in Ottawa, referring to proposed online safety legislation.

Asked whether Discord should be covered by the legislation, Anandasangaree said the law would establish an independent body to make such decisions.

— With files by Ashley Joannou in Vancouver and David Baxter in Ottawa

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 7, 2026.

Nono Shen, The Canadian Press