DOJ case attacks mass murder fandom culture behind Canadian school shooting

Published October 15, 2026 12:42pm ET | Updated October 15, 2026 12:42pm ET



Federal prosecutors in Washington state are testing law enforcement’s ability to punish those encouraging mass shootings from behind keyboards.

A judge ordered James Bryant detained without bail Tuesday after Bryant was arrested last week for allegedly aiding the perpetrator of a deadly February school shooting in Canada. Reports and court records showed Jesse Van Rootselaar, a transgender 18-year-old, mirrored other recent mass killers with a fixation on previous shootings and online spaces that glorify violence as entertainment.

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