The parents of 12-year-old Maya Gebala are celebrating small signs of life – a leg twitch, a cough – after she was critically injured in a shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School on Tuesday. The attack, which left eight people dead including the shooter and his family members, has shaken the small British Columbia community.
Maya, a Grade 7 student, was airlifted to B.C. Children’s Hospital in Vancouver and remains in critical condition. Surgeons initially warned her parents there was little hope for recovery, but recent improvements have offered a glimmer of hope, according to her father, David Gebala.
“They had told us there’s nothing that we can do… so lay with her,” said Maya’s mother, Cia Edmonds, in an interview with CBC News. “It’s almost been 48 hours and she’s still fighting. She’s so strong.”
The shooting unfolded on Tuesday, beginning as a normal school day for Maya, who was looking forward to working on a catapult project and visiting her mother at her tattoo and clothing shop during lunch. Edmonds received the call about the school lockdown and, after learning from another parent of a text message indicating Maya had been shot, rushed to the town’s health centre.
“I said, ‘That’s my baby in there!’” Edmonds recounted. She learned that Maya had been struck by multiple bullets, including one that travelled through her earlobe and the back of her head, and another lodged in her throat.
The shooter has been identified as 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar. He, along with his mother, Jennifer Strang, and stepbrother, were among the eight fatalities. Edmonds, who knew the Van Rootselaar family, revealed she had previously babysat Jesse and described Jennifer Strang as a dedicated single mother who worked long shifts at a local mine.
Edmonds shared that Strang had struggled to support her son, who had a history of mental health issues, including a previous attempt to set fire to their home. “She really – I truly believe that in her heart – did everything she could to try to help… I know that she struggled,” Edmonds said.
The tragedy has sparked an outpouring of support for the victims and their families, with a GoFundMe campaign raising funds for Maya’s care. However, Edmonds and Gebala expressed frustration with social media posts that politicize the event, particularly those directing anger towards Strang. They emphasize the need to focus on mental health resources and support systems.
“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.”
Gebala expressed hope following what he described as “incredible improvements” in Maya’s condition, including her ability to cough and move her limbs. “I just can’t wait till she opens her eyes, or smiles, or says, ‘Mama,’” Edmonds added, her voice filled with emotion. “If she said ‘Mama’ one time, just one time…”
