The Antihero Broadcast

Episode: THE CANADIAN TRANS SHOOTER
Date: February 12, 2026
Host: The Antihero Podcast
Duration: ~2 hrs

Episode Overview

This episode of The Antihero Broadcast centers on recent news of a mass shooting in Canada involving a transgender shooter. The hosts tackle wide-ranging topics including the intersection of mental health, hormone therapy, youth gender transition, policing and mental health, critiques of capitalism, and military/veteran perspectives. The conversation is candid, controversial, and sometimes confrontational—typical of the show’s rough-around-the-edges, blue-collar, veteran-first tone.

Note: Ads and non-content segments have been excluded.

Key Discussion Points

1. The Canadian Trans Shooter: Initial Reactions & Framing

(Starts: 02:55)

• Canada experiences a high-profile mass shooting by an individual identified as transgender.
• Hosts express concern over the intersection of mental health and hormone therapy.
  • “What causes you to rage is the hormone imbalance.” – B (03:07)
• Critical of youth access to hormone therapy and gender transition.
  • “There’s no way you should be able to get behind that as a parent and support that behavior because their brain hasn’t developed…” – B (04:14)

Notable Quotes:

• “A lot of that rage and this anger you’re seeing might be mental health, but it could also be imbalance in hormones…” – B (03:22)

2. Youth Transition, Gender Dysphoria & Parenting

(04:39–10:17)

• Concerns about societal encouragement of gender transition for children and teens.
  • Hosts argue children are too young to make such decisions emotionally and neurologically.
• Criticism of parents who enable transitioning in youth.
  • “It should be illegal, because the child is not old enough to know.” – B (05:52)
• Discussion of drag shows and exposure of children to adult content.
  • “How do they have to even ban that? Where are they doing drag shows at schools?” – C (05:34)
• Growing attention-seeking in youth potentially tied to identity crises.

Notable Quotes:

• “We put an age on drinking… We don’t put an age on transitioning, we don’t put an age on hormones.” – B (09:06)
• “Probably the most dangerous thing on earth is a liberal white female.” – B (09:42)

3. Details on the Canadian Shooting & Patterns

(10:17–16:43)

• The attacker had a documented mental health history; guns were seized, but later returned to the home.
  • “Guns removed… family petitioned to get the guns back… There’s gotta be anger and hate.” – B (10:21)
• Discussion of family structure’s role; many shooters grew up in single-parent households.
  • “It’s always never a dad… it’s typically a mom household.” – C (15:15)
• Outrage that mental illness is insufficiently addressed by social/social safety nets.

Notable Quotes:

• “Not taking a young kid and manipulating their brain… is that not… up there close to [pedophilia], man?” – B (13:03)
• “...Hormones for life. Make the shirt.” – B (14:19)

4. Broader Systemic Discussions—Guns, Laws, and Political Polarization

(23:41–25:50)

• Gun control is debated; Canada has strict laws but still experienced tragedy.
  • “Canada has some very, very strict gun laws?” – E (23:41)
  • “So that’s funny if you say that… gun laws don’t work.” – C (23:56)
• Both right and left politicize events instead of seeking pragmatic solutions.
  • “The right is going to jump on the transgender train, the left is going to jump on the gun train, and the middle is going to continue to suffer.” – B (24:05)

Notable Quotes:

• “Somewhere in the middle is the regular people going, ‘You two keep battling it out. How do we survive?’” – B (24:52)

5. Parenting, The Nuclear Family, and Societal Trends

(31:04–41:24)

• Extended dialogue over the decline of the nuclear family and economic pressures.
• One listener (Ryan, guest) attributes much familial breakdown to “late-stage capitalism” and housing insecurity.
  • “I think the nuclear family is under attack by late-stage capitalism…” – D (38:41)
• Debate over whether modern parents (and especially single mothers) can provide adequate support.
• Acknowledgement that classic family models were not perfect—domestic violence, abuse, and infidelity were rampant.

Notable Quotes:

• “There is not a single person I know where the husband goes to work and the wife can stay home and live… unless they’re rich, rich.” – B (39:55)

6. War, Veterans, and Culture of Violence

(42:20–56:03)

• Deep discussion with guest (Ryan, a left-leaning Marine veteran):
  • Veterans’ guilt, the “hero” narrative, and disillusionment with U.S. interventions.
  • Questioning whether killing in war makes one happier or more troubled.
    • “Let’s just think about that for a second… isn’t that question… a bit unhinged?” – D (42:49)
  • “If I had killed people, would I be a happier person?”—Reflective, not literal, question (42:20)
  • Reflection on the deception in patriotic narratives (“ra-ra,” “American exceptionalism”), historical context for anti-war veterans, and the military-industrial complex.

Notable Quotes:

• “We just agree on football teams, we should just go to war and kill each other…?” – B (44:31)
• “We dodged an immoral bullet.” – D (49:08)

7. Inclusion, LGBTQ+ Veterans, and Mental Health

(51:08–56:03)

• Ryan: Large, under-acknowledged LGBTQ+ presence in veteran communities; need for inclusive veteran support.
  • “There’s a whole LGBTQ portion of our veteran community that is basically ignored.” – D (53:14)
  • “Transgender veterans self-harm at greater rates than any of us do. So when we’re making, cracking all these jokes and things, it has a real impact.” – D (54:45)
• Hosts agree every veteran, regardless of personal politics, deserves support.
  • “Why wouldn’t I want [a veteran] to go to you?” – B (50:28)
• Invitation for broader empathy and the importance of dialogue.

8. War, Heroism, and U.S. History

(56:03–61:46)

• Is U.S. military action genuinely heroic or has it become more horrific than heroic since WWII?
• Critique of hero worship and propaganda in modern American military culture.
  • “When was the last time the US military did anything heroic? Isn’t it true… it’s horrific, not heroic?” – D (59:14)
• The plan to discuss communism, anti-communist rhetoric, and societal myths about leftist politics in future episodes.

Notable Quotes:

• “World War II, greatest generation mythology… has perpetuated these morally bankrupt wars ever since.” – D (60:16)

9. Policing, Mental Health, and The Role of Social Workers

(90:15–119:47)

• Veteran guest Nick Prawl joins to discuss police response to mental health crises, especially involving veterans.
  • Criticism: Cops lack specific mental health training and their presence can escalate situations.
  • Is a hybrid police–social worker approach viable? Should social workers be sent into potentially dangerous situations at all?
• Realistic limitations: Too few resources, insufficiently trained personnel, fear of liability.
• Hosts provide an insider’s view on the practicalities and tragedies of real-life crisis response, both as veterans and former police.

Notable Quotes:

• “If you need shields, it’s already too late. If we’re bringing shields out, I don’t think… [it’s] the social worker point.” – C (101:33)
• “The majority just wants to go to school, to work, to church, to the mall. And they don’t want to get robbed, and they don’t want to have a shooting in front of them.” – B (106:57)

10. Broader Reflections: Cops, Veterans, and Societal Responsibility

(121:04–End)

• Ongoing issues with support for veterans and law enforcement suffering trauma or sustaining life-altering injuries.
  • Critique of lack of a “VA” equivalent for police officers.
• General frustration with societal expectation for first responders and veterans to “suck it up,” masking deep trauma.
• Shared hope: Even small improvements (e.g., 10 fewer veteran suicides per year) are worth pursuing.

Selected Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Hormones & Transitioning:
  • “There’s a lot of these people… going mentally ill, that are getting on hormones… a lot of that rage… could also be imbalance in hormones.” – B (03:22)
• On Children & Transitioning:
  • “You start mutilating minds. You start mutilating genitals. You start mutilating… adding chemicals into the equation.” – B (07:45)
• On Parenting & Society:
  • “Probably the most dangerous thing on earth is a liberal white female.” – B (09:42)
• On Political Division After a Shooting:
  • “The right is going to jump on the transgender train, the left is going to jump on the gun train, and the middle is going to continue to suffer…” – B (24:05)
• On Mental Health & Policing:
  • “I don’t think that veterans in crises particularly respond well to law enforcement.” – C (98:53)
• On Empathy Within the Veteran Community:
  • “Why wouldn’t I want [a veteran] to go to you?” – B (50:28)
• On Critiquing US Wars and Heroism:
  • “Isn’t it true that the US Military, if we’re going to use more precise language, is horrific, not heroic?” – D (59:14)
• On American Society’s Problems:
  • “The majority just wants to go to school, to work, to church, to the mall… they just want to go exist.” – B (106:57)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Time | Segment/Topic | |-------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:55 | Introduction to "the Canadian trans shooter" topic | | 03:05–05:52 | Hormones, mental illness, and influence on violence/trans rage | | 05:52–10:17 | Youth transition, parenting, drag shows controversy, and societal confusion | | 10:17–16:43 | Specifics of the Canadian attack, family structure debates | | 23:41–25:50 | Guns, law, and political polarization after shootings | | 31:04–41:24 | Parenting, nuclear family, capitalism, and breakdown of traditional structures | | 42:20–56:03 | Interview with Ryan (Marine veteran): war, hero narratives, veterans’ identities | | 51:08–56:03 | LGBTQ+ veterans, mental health, veteran solidarity | | 56:03–61:46 | War, heroism, mythmaking, and future communism debate tease | | 90:15–119:47| Policing and mental health: social workers’ role, responses to vet crises (with Nick Prawl)| | 121:04–End | Conversation shifts to systemic support for cops and veterans, closing reflections |

Tone & Style

• Direct, irreverent, and at times offensive.
• Conversational and unscripted, openly debating hot-button topics.
• Host dynamic: Critical, sometimes reactionary, but allows for diverse and dissenting opinions among guests.
• Humor: Crude, dark, in line with veteran/law enforcement subcultures.

Summary Takeaways

• The show’s hosts are highly concerned with the confluence of youth, mental health, hormone therapy, and cultural messaging about gender—especially when it comes to the risk of violence or life-altering consequences for young people.
• There is a recurring critique of both the right and left for exploiting tragedies for political gain without addressing root causes.
• Policing mental health crises—particularly among veterans—remains a no-win situation due to practical, legal, and liability constraints.
• The episode features a unique level of openness to dialogue: regulars and guests disagree sharply but are united by a “veteran-first” ethic, and share a sense of systemic neglect.
• The program leans heavily anti-communist, but values understanding the “other side”—even inviting a self-identified communist/leftist Marine to share his views, though these remain contentious for much of the core audience.

For Listeners Who Haven’t Tuned In:
This episode will give you a window into the raw, unapologetic conversations occurring in veteran and blue-collar spaces. The hosts are not afraid to tread controversial ground, sometimes crossing into territory that will be jarring or offensive to more mainstream audiences, but the episode also demonstrates that sharp disagreement does not preclude honest dialogue or a shared desire to help those in crisis.