A 12-year-old girl is currently in critical condition after becoming a victim of a tragic school shooting in Canada. The young girl, identified as Maya Gebala, sustained injuries to her head and neck during the violent incident that took the lives of eight individuals on Tuesday, February 10.
The deadliest mass shooting in Canada’s history unfolded at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia, leaving 25 people wounded. The suspected shooter, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, allegedly fatally shot six individuals at the school, along with two of their family members, before taking his own life.
Maya’s mother, Cia Edmonds, posted a photo from her daughter’s hospital bedside, expressing the unexpected hope for Maya’s survival. Despite initial grim prognoses about the severity of her brain injuries, Maya showed signs of fighting on. Edmonds shared, “I can feel her in my heart. I can feel her saying it’s going to be OK … she’s here … for how long we don’t know. Our baby needs a miracle.”
A Go Fund Me page has been established to support Maya’s recovery as her mother continues to provide updates from Vancouver Children’s Hospital where Maya is battling for her life. The heart-wrenching post describes the sudden turn of events that led to Maya fighting for her life due to gunshot wounds to her head and neck.
Among the victims were six individuals found inside the school, including a teacher, four 12-year-old girls, and a 13-year-old boy. Tragically, two others, identified as Van Rootselaar’s mother and stepbrother, were also killed before the school attack.
Residents of Tumbler Ridge, a small community nestled in the Rockies, were urgently notified to seek shelter due to an active shooter situation. Law enforcement officers responded swiftly to the scene, encountering gunfire as they approached the school. Within minutes, the suspected shooter was found deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot, ending the threat.
Authorities recovered two firearms, a long gun, and a modified handgun at the scene of the devastating school shooting.
