Tumbler Ridge Shooting: Family Clings to Hope as 12-Year-Old Fights for Life
The parents of 12-year-old Maya Gebala are finding strength in every small sign of life – even a slight leg twitch – as their daughter recovers from being critically injured in a mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. The devastating attack on Tuesday left eight people dead, including students, an educator, and the shooter’s mother and half-brother, and has shaken the community to its core.
Maya, a Grade 7 student, was airlifted to B.C. Children’s Hospital in Vancouver and has been battling for her life ever since. Her mother, Cia Edmonds, 40, expressed gratitude for her daughter’s survival and implored Canadians to support the families impacted by the tragedy.
Social media has become a focal point for both support and concern, with images of Maya – a vibrant hockey player – juxtaposed against the grim reality of her injuries resonating deeply with the public. A GoFundMe campaign has quickly amassed funds to assist with her ongoing medical care. A recent image shared by Edmonds, showing her resting her head on Maya, has garnered widespread attention.
It is profoundly painful for Maya’s parents to witness the state of their daughter, a tenacious athlete who even taught herself to walk on stilts, now largely motionless. “She’s way too stubborn to let this…” David Gebala said, his voice breaking with emotion. “She’ll pull through this; I believe that she will.”
The outpouring of well wishes from around the globe has provided solace, but the family is also distressed by the politicization of the tragedy on social media. Gebala and Edmonds, who are no longer partners, have voiced frustration over angry comments directed at Jennifer Strang, the mother of the 18-year-old shooter, Jesse Van Rootselaar, who also perished in the attack.
Edmonds revealed she was friends with Strang and had previously babysat Van Rootselaar as a child. She expressed deep sorrow for all those affected, including Strang.
‘She’s Still Fighting’: Parents Remain Hopeful
Maya remains at Vancouver Children’s Hospital, where doctors continue to assess her condition following the shooting on Monday. Her parents report being encouraged by small movements in her limbs, though medical professionals emphasize she remains in critical condition after sustaining gunshot wounds.
Edmonds described witnessing Strang’s tireless efforts to help her son, recalling instances where the single mother, who worked long shifts at a nearby mine, struggled to provide him with the support he needed. Edmonds shared a harrowing account of Van Rootselaar attempting to set a mattress ablaze, and confirmed he had been hospitalized multiple times due to mental health concerns.
“People are trying to politicize what this is about,” Edmonds stated. “It’s not about guns. It’s not about transgenderism. It’s about mental health. It’s about a lack of resources.” She added, “[Strang] really – I truly believe that in her heart – did everything she could to try to help… I know that she struggled.”
The day began normally for Maya, a first-year student excited about a catapult project in class and plans to visit her mother’s tattoo and clothing shop during lunch. However, she never arrived. The school was soon placed on lockdown.
Initially, Edmonds did not panic, but her concern escalated when a friend reported seeing armed police officers entering the school building. She rushed to the recreation centre, where she found a group of distraught parents. A text message from another student’s father confirmed her worst fears: “He says, ‘Dad, I’m fine.’ And I said, ‘Ask him how Maya is.’ And then he shows me again, and it says, ‘Maya’s been dragged out, and I believe she’s been shot.’”
Edmonds raced to the town’s health centre and, through a window, saw medical personnel cutting off Maya’s clothing. She was initially prevented from identifying her daughter, but insisted, “That’s my baby in there!”
Both parents remain uncertain about the precise sequence of events inside the school. They have heard accounts of fellow students bravely attempting to save Maya after she was struck by gunfire following shots that hit her teacher.
“There’s a bullet … that went through her earlobe and then through the head and out the back, and then one was stuck in her throat,” Edmonds revealed. Surgeons have cautioned that Maya’s recovery is uncertain. “They had told us there’s nothing that we can do … so lay with her,” she said. “It’s almost been 48 hours and she’s still fighting. She’s so strong.”
Gebala expressed optimism following what he described as “incredible improvements,” including Maya coughing for the first time and exhibiting movement in her hand and leg. He embraced Maya’s mother as they sat near the hospital, overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from around the world.
“I just can’t wait till she opens her eyes, or smiles, or says, ‘Mama.’ I just want her to say ‘Mama,’” Edmonds pleaded, her voice filled with hope. “If she said ‘Mama’ one time, just one time…”
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If you’re affected by this story, you can find mental health support through resources in your province or territory.
