12-year-old shot in the head by teenage school shooter as she protected classmates during Tumbler Ridge massacre, family says
Tumbler Ridge victim in critical condition tried to save classmates
- A 12-year-old girl, Maya Gebala, is in critical condition after being shot twice while attempting to protect classmates during a school shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.
- Maya was airlifted to British Columbia’s Children’s Hospital after being hit by bullets above her left eye and in her neck, with doctors unsure if she would survive.
- The shooter, identified as 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, killed three 12-year-old female students, two male students aged 12 and 13, a 39-year-old educator, a 39-year-old mother, and an 11-year-old stepbrother.
- A GoFundMe campaign has been launched by a relative to support Maya's recovery and her mother, Cia, who shared a heartbreaking note from the hospital.
- Police are investigating the motive of Van Rootselaar, who had a history of mental health concerns and whose firearms were not registered to her, with her gun license having expired in 2024.
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