Behind the Bastards

It Could Happen Here Weekly 220

February 21, 2026

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  • The immediate aftermath of the Tumbler Ridge school shooting saw a rapid deployment of right-wing political opportunism online, including the misidentification and harassment of an innocent relative of the shooter. 
  • The Tumbler Ridge shooter's online footprint indicated a growing fascination with the 'school shooter fandom' (TCC) and nihilistic content on gore forums, rather than explicit ideological radicalization like neo-Nazism. 
  • The discussion on the Sarajevo Safari highlights the alleged practice of the Army of Republika Srpska charging tourists to shoot at Bosnian civilians during the Siege of Sarajevo. 
  • The collapse of Tito's Yugoslavia into ethno-nationalism, fueled by figures like Slobodan Milosevic, created the conditions for the Bosnian War and the Siege of Sarajevo, where international rhetoric often framed the conflict through dehumanizing, clash-of-civilizations lenses. 
  • The documentary *Sarajevo Safari* alleges that affluent non-Bosnians participated in war tourism by paying to shoot civilians from sniper positions during the Siege of Sarajevo, highlighting a profound level of international complicity in the atrocities. 
  • The 1925 Shanghai General Strike demonstrates that while repression is severe, the collapse of cross-class movements often hinges on the business elite prioritizing profit over solidarity and the logistical failure to provide sustenance to striking workers. 
  • Recent polling data indicates a significant reversal in party favorability since late 2025, with the Republican party's support collapsing faster than the Democratic party's, largely driven by voter dissatisfaction with the economy and Republican immigration tactics, including those of ICE. 
  • Despite widespread public disapproval of ICE, with support for abolishing the agency now exceeding opposition among some polls, Democratic leadership remains rhetorically cautious about using the term \ 
  • preferring to focus on affordability and using the appropriations process for reform. 
  • The Pawtucket, Rhode Island shooting, while framed by the right as evidence of a 
  • epidemic, was determined by authorities to be targeted domestic violence stemming from extreme mental health issues, highlighting the tendency to default to partisan culture war explanations for public violence. 

Segments

Podcast Introduction and Ads
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(00:00:00)
  • Key Takeaway: The episode begins with standard podcast network identification and sponsor advertisements.
  • Summary: The segment includes an iHeart podcast tag, ads for Capella University and Lose Weight Now, and an ad for Organic Valley dairy, followed by a Taco Bell ad.
Compilation Episode Announcement
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(00:01:52)
  • Key Takeaway: Robert Evans announces that this episode is a compilation of the week’s episodes with fewer ads.
  • Summary: Robert Evans introduces the episode as a compilation, noting that regular listeners will find no new content.
Tumbler Ridge Shooting Overview
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(00:02:18)
  • Key Takeaway: Garrison Davis introduces the topic: a tragic school shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, committed by an 18-year-old transgender girl.
  • Summary: Garrison Davis and Lance discuss the shooting on February 10th where the shooter killed her mother and stepbrother before killing five students and one teacher at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, followed by suicide. The incident is noted as the worst Canadian school shooting since 1989 and similar to the Lelouch shooting.
Reading Victims’ Names
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(00:04:02)
  • Key Takeaway: The hosts read the names of the deceased victims as requested by the families.
  • Summary: The names of the seven victims killed at the school (Abel Wanza, Ezekiel Schofield, Kylie Smith, Zoe Benoit, Takaria Lampert, Shanda Avigwanda Duran, Emmett Jacobs, and Jennifer Jacobs) are read aloud.
Right-Wing Political Opportunism
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(00:04:43)
  • Key Takeaway: Both hosts immediately observed right-wing narratives attempting to weaponize the tragedy for political agendas, particularly targeting transgender people.
  • Summary: Garrison and Lance discuss how right-wing influencers (like The Pleb Reporter, Juno News, Cat Canada, and Donald Trump Jr.) quickly framed the event to attack trans people, causing shock to the small town.
Mother’s Support for Trans Rights
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(00:08:15)
  • Key Takeaway: The shooter’s mother, Jennifer Strang, was a public supporter of trans rights and had previously spoken out against online hate.
  • Summary: The hosts detail posts made by the mother in 2024 supporting LGBTQ Pride and urging people to stop spreading hatred online, highlighting the tragic irony given the subsequent events.
Misidentification and Harassment
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(00:09:12)
  • Key Takeaway: Based on an early description, right-wing accounts misidentified a relative of the shooter as the perpetrator, leading to severe harassment.
  • Summary: The segment covers how an early report led to the publication of an innocent relative’s photo by accounts like The Pleb Reporter and even appeared in a CBC thumbnail, putting the relative in danger.
Weaponizing Statistics and Misinformation
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(00:11:02)
  • Key Takeaway: Right-wing accounts immediately blamed transition-related factors (mental delusion, SSRIs, hormones) and spread false statistics about trans mass shooters.
  • Summary: The hosts debunk claims, such as the shooter killing 35 people (the actual number shot was lower, with 25 non-gunshot injuries), and discuss the proliferation of unsourced graphs claiming trans girls are the highest demographic of mass shooters per capita, shared even by Elon Musk.
Defining Mass Shootings
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(00:12:36)
  • Key Takeaway: The term ‘mass shooting’ is inconsistently defined, leading to skewed statistics when lumping together various types of gun violence.
  • Summary: Discussion on how terms like mass shooting, mass killing, and school shooting encompass incidents ranging from gang violence to accidental discharges, making data comparison difficult.
Statistical Reality vs. Narrative
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(00:14:14)
  • Key Takeaway: Data from various archives shows that transgender mass shooters are statistically rare, making the right-wing narrative an exaggeration.
  • Summary: Citing databases, the hosts note that fewer than 1 in 1,000 mass shooters in the last decade were identified as transgender, contrasting this with the 2-4% of Gen Z who identify as trans. They acknowledge that fact-checking often fails against emotionally charged disinformation.
Counter-Narratives and Online Lore
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(00:17:03)
  • Key Takeaway: In reaction to the right-wing narrative, some trans influencers deploy counter-memes blaming groups like 09A or 764 for grooming the shooter.
  • Summary: The hosts explain the lore behind 09A (neo-Nazi occult organization) and 764 (extortion ring encouraging self-harm) and note that while these groups are real threats, there is no evidence linking the Tumbler Ridge shooter to them; this has become a counter-meme.
Shooter’s Online Footprint Analysis
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(00:21:14)
  • Key Takeaway: The shooter’s verifiable online activity points toward an obsession with the ‘school shooter fandom’ (TCC) rather than explicit white supremacy or occult groups.
  • Summary: The hosts dismiss the false ADL report linking the shooter to white supremacy (which came from a troll account) and detail the shooter’s activity on Reddit (guns, transition questions, drug abuse) and the forum ‘Watch People Die’.
Fascination with Mass Shootings (TCC)
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(00:29:29)
  • Key Takeaway: The shooter’s online nexus was involvement with the ‘school shooter fandom’ (TCC), evidenced by creating a Roblox mass shooting simulator and engaging with content glorifying first-person shooter footage.
  • Summary: The discussion highlights the pattern of copycat behavior within TCC, referencing other school shooters who idolized Samantha Rupnow (Columbine copycat) and were active on the same ‘Watch People Die’ forum.
Mental Health Spiral and Drug Use
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(00:32:03)
  • Key Takeaway: The shooter’s comments reveal an addictive draw to violent content, self-medication with psychedelics, and a history of mental health crises, including an arson attempt.
  • Summary: The shooter admitted to finding gore addictive and using drugs to ‘zone out.’ This, combined with prior police mental health visits and gun confiscation/return, paints a picture of severe mental decline accelerated by drug abuse.
Social Disintegration as Root Cause
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(00:35:39)
  • Key Takeaway: The underlying cause of such violence is social disintegration and deregulation, not specific medical conditions like gender dysphoria or prescribed hormones.
  • Summary: Drawing on Durkheim, the hosts argue that mass shootings are ritualistic acts of self-destruction against the social fabric (family/school). While trans people are marginalized, transitioning is often a healthier coping mechanism than the nihilistic violence seen here.
Addressing Social Breakdown
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(00:46:02)
  • Key Takeaway: Solutions require strengthening the social fabric through increased social services, comprehensive mental healthcare, and addressing economic instability, rather than just focusing on gun control or drug prohibition.
  • Summary: The hosts discuss that while gun laws are a factor, the core issue is social deregulation. They emphasize the need for accessible paths for social life (education, healthcare) to prevent individuals from falling out of the social fabric.
Parental Awareness and Online Spaces
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(00:48:07)
  • Key Takeaway: Parents need to be aware of the risks associated with children spending excessive time alone online, especially on unregulated forums like ‘Watch People Die.’
  • Summary: The discussion concludes that awareness of social isolation and the existence of forums glorifying mass killings is crucial, though banning such sites is legally and practically difficult.
Yugoslavia’s Ethnic Tensions
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(01:02:36)
  • Key Takeaway: Yugoslavia contained multiple ethnicities whose friction was only temporarily suppressed by Tito’s rule.
  • Summary: Discussion of the ethnic makeup of Yugoslavia (Serbs, Croats, Bosniaks, etc.) and Tito’s failed attempt to enforce ‘brotherhood and unity’ to counteract dissent.
Rise of Ethno-Nationalism Post-Tito
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(01:03:22)
  • Key Takeaway: After Tito’s death, economic crisis fueled ethno-nationalism, shifting politics to focus solely on ethnicity.
  • Summary: Explaining how the post-Tito era saw the rise of ethno-nationalism, defined as nationalism based solely on ethnicity, contrasting it with citizenship-based nationalism.
MiloÅ¡ević’s Ethnic Rhetoric
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(01:04:11)
  • Key Takeaway: Slobodan MiloÅ¡ević used ethnic rhetoric, like emphasizing Serbian decline, to gain power by appealing to Serbian grievances.
  • Summary: Examples of MiloÅ¡ević’s slogans and rhetoric used to capture Serbian animosity, suggesting Serbs needed control over all of Yugoslavia for security.
Secession and Siege of Sarajevo
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(01:05:59)
  • Key Takeaway: Serbian ambition for control triggered secession wars, leading to the prolonged siege of Sarajevo.
  • Summary: Chronology of the Croatian and Slovenian wars, Bosnia’s secession, and the subsequent Serbian attack on Sarajevo, which became a difficult siege due to geography.
International Framing of Bosnian War
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(01:08:03)
  • Key Takeaway: Western powers framed the Bosnian conflict through lenses that dehumanized Bosniaks, either as a ‘clash of civilizations’ or by ignoring the conflict.
  • Summary: Analysis of how the Western right framed the war as Christian Europe vs. Islamists, and how the left adopted rhetoric that minimized the atrocities, leading to the abandonment of Bosniaks.
Arms Embargo Injustice
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(01:12:49)
  • Key Takeaway: The international arms embargo was not neutral; it actively harmed the victims (Bosniaks) by preventing them from defending themselves.
  • Summary: Discussion on how the arms embargo disproportionately benefited the Yugoslav Army (funding Serb forces) and Croat forces, leaving the Bosniaks defenseless while genocide occurred.
Sarajevo Safari Allegations
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(01:21:51)
  • Key Takeaway: The documentary alleges organized war tourism where wealthy foreigners paid to hunt Bosnian civilians from sniper positions.
  • Summary: Summary of the Sarajevo Safari documentary, detailing claims that non-Bosnians paid high fees to shoot civilians, including children, during the siege.
Complicity and Survivor Cynicism
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(01:26:30)
  • Key Takeaway: The ability for such atrocities to occur highlights the abject failure and complicity of the international community, leading to survivor cynicism.
  • Summary: The guest expresses shock but not surprise, linking the safari allegations to the broader failure of international actors. Survivors question why attention comes so late and whether it leads to real justice.
Historical Precedent for Dehumanization
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(01:31:55)
  • Key Takeaway: Serb nationalist discourse actively redeployed historical anti-Ottoman rhetoric, framing Bosniaks as ‘Turks’ to justify violence.
  • Summary: Examples from official transcripts showing Serb officials consistently using derogatory terms like ‘Turks’ instead of ‘Bosnian Muslims,’ creating a ‘feeling of truth’ that justified action.
Learning from 1925 Shanghai Strike
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(01:56:36)
  • Key Takeaway: The 1925 Shanghai general strike shows that massive cross-class resistance against armed occupation is possible, but vulnerable to internal collapse.
  • Summary: Historical context of the May 30th Movement, triggered by police killing unarmed protesters, leading to a massive general strike that ultimately failed due to lack of food and betrayal by business elites.
Weekly Newscast Kickoff
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(02:22:33)
  • Key Takeaway: The weekly newscast segment ‘It Could Happen Here’ begins, covering news from February 11th to 18th.
  • Summary: The hosts introduce the weekly news roundup, covering minor items like the FDA declining a flu vaccine review, the conclusion of Operation Metro Surge, and Stephen Colbert’s issue with the FCC’s equal time rule.
Local Resistance to ICE Facilities
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(02:23:37)
  • Key Takeaway: Local opposition to federal detention facilities is occurring in conservative areas, driven by a mix of NIMBYism and resistance to ICE.
  • Summary: The hosts discuss the owner of a Texas warehouse refusing to lease to the federal government for a detention facility, and analyze how local opposition (NIMBYism) can sometimes align with moral opposition to detention centers, citing examples from Southern California.
Shia LaBeouf Arrest and Polling Shift
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(02:25:53)
  • Key Takeaway: Shia LaBeouf’s arrest is noted, leading to an analysis showing a dramatic reversal in party favorability polls since late 2025.
  • Summary: The hosts discuss LaBeouf’s arrest and then detail polling data showing that while both parties were unpopular in Fall 2025, recent data indicates a significant collapse in Republican favorability, particularly concerning Trump’s immigration policies.
Public Opinion on Abolishing ICE
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(02:34:25)
  • Key Takeaway: Public support for abolishing ICE has surged, with more Americans now supporting abolition than opposing it.
  • Summary: The hosts present YouGov data showing that 46% of Americans support abolishing ICE, surpassing the 41% who oppose it, linking this trend to the collapse in Trump’s and ICE’s public support.
Democratic Leadership Avoids ‘Abolish ICE’
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(03:05:13)
  • Key Takeaway: Democratic leadership, like Hakeem Jeffries, exhibits rhetorical ‘cowardice’ by deflecting from the ‘abolish ICE’ term to focus on affordability, despite using appropriations to restrict the agency.
  • Summary: A clip of Hakeem Jeffries avoiding the phrase ‘abolish ICE’ is played. The hosts contrast this with AOC’s clear stance and note that leadership is unwilling to use public pressure to support abolition, even while taking legislative action.
DHS Funding Standoff Details
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(03:01:05)
  • Key Takeaway: The partial DHS shutdown is unlikely to stop ICE/CBP operations, as essential workers continue, but oversight functions may slow down.
  • Summary: The hosts clarify that the DHS funding standoff is partial and that ICE/CBP will largely continue operations. Democrats are demanding concessions like an end to masking by law enforcement officers.
Coast Guard Morale and Mission Shift
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(03:05:06)
  • Key Takeaway: Morale is low in the Coast Guard due to its mission being redirected from search and rescue toward immigration enforcement under DHS.
  • Summary: The hosts detail reports of a Coast Guard C-130 being pulled from a search and rescue mission to conduct a deportation flight, highlighting the agency’s shift away from its core mission.
Pawtucket Shooting and Culture War
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(03:09:45)
  • Key Takeaway: A domestic violence shooting was immediately weaponized by both political sides, obscuring the fact that it was interpersonal violence, not ideologically motivated.
  • Summary: The hosts discuss the Pawtucket shooting, noting the shooter’s far-right social media presence, but emphasizing that the violence was targeted against family due to mental health issues, not political ideology.