Not that long ago, people who struggled to accept their biological gender were diagnosed with a mental health disorder called gender dysphoria. But radical tolerance pushed by the left has ushered us into an age where transgenderism is so embraced, and even popularized, that advocacy for it continues even as transgender-perpetrated violence increases.On February 10, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, a biological male who identified as a woman, allegedly carried out a mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, killing eight people — including his mother, stepbrother, five students, and a teacher — before dying by suicide. The mass shooting is one of the deadliest in Canadian history.The mainstream media, however, has consistently portrayed Van Rootselaar as a woman with mental health issues, seemingly aligning with the transgender movement’s emphasis on gender-affirming language and self-identification.But BlazeTV host Rick Burgess argues that mental illness isn’t the full picture.“A[n alleged] mass killer that then takes their own life — that is a calling card of demonic activity,” he says.On this episode of “Strange Encounters,” Rick delves into the spiritual dimensions of the atrocity, arguing that what society calls “mental illness” in such cases may actually stem from demonic oppression fueled by cultural confusion over God’s design for gender. “On this podcast, we do not believe that all mental health is demonic. There’s no doubt that the human brain is a piece of our fallen bodies, like everything else, and it can be sick,” Rick says.“However, there’s also a clear indication that many times we label demonic activity as mental illness when it’s not,” he adds.Much of the violence we’re seeing from trans-identifying individuals, he says, falls into that category: demonic oppression repackaged as mental illness.The LGBTQ+ movement that insists gender is a broad spectrum instead of the male/female dichotomy created by God is creating an environment that is both “chaotic and confusing.”“And what lives in those two worlds?” Rick asks. “Demonic activity. No question.”“We’re just pretending something, and it’s costing people their lives — and I’m including the people who are struggling with this,” he adds. “They become dangerous to other people and dangerous to themselves.”To hear more of Rick’s spiritual analysis, watch the episode above.Want more from Rick Burgess?To enjoy more bold talk and big laughs, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.