Shooting victim named as girl,12, who ‘needs a miracle’ | World | News
Maya Gebala, one of the only victims whose name has been known so far after the deadly attack that killed eight people (Image: Cia Edmonds/GoFundMe)
A 12-year-old girl suffered brain damage after her mother said she ‘needed a miracle’ after the horrific school attack in Canada. Maya Gebala, one of the only victims whose name has been released so far, suffered head and neck injuries following the deadly incident that left eight people dead on Tuesday, February 10.
The shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School was Canada’s deadliest mass shooting, leaving 25 people injured. Jesse Van Rootselaar, 18, is suspected of killing six people and two of their relatives at the school and then killing himself.
Maya’s mother released a heartbreaking statement alongside photos revealing that her daughter’s chances of surviving the night are slim. Cia Edmonds said: “We were warned the damage to his brain was too much for him to bear and he might not make it through the night.
Read more: Chilling photos of Canadian school shooter who killed eight people emerge
Read more: The name of the attacker who killed 8 people in Canada was Jesse Van Rootselaar.
“I can feel him in my heart. I can feel him saying everything will be okay… he’s here… we don’t know for how long. Our baby needs a miracle.”
A Go Fund Me page has been created for Maya. On the page, her mother added: “I am writing this post while my daughter is fighting for her life in Vancouver children’s hospital. Today started as usual.
“But now my 12-year-old daughter is fighting for her life while trying to repair the bullet wound she received in her head and neck.
“I think he was a lucky guy. Our condolences to the other families during this tragedy. This doesn’t even seem real to me.
“I never thought I would ask for prayers.. but please please pray for my baby.”
Cia and Maya at Vancouver Children’s Hospital (Image: Cia Edmonds/GoFundMe)
In her latest update, Cia added: “What started out as a normal day has now turned into hours and minutes. What feels like a glimmer of hope feels as fragile as life itself, but we can’t give up hope… so we wait.”
“Our amazing team believes he won’t make it… but we wait and we continue to hope. Thank you to everyone who took the time to send their wishes. We need a miracle.”
Six of the victims (a 39-year-old female teacher, three 12-year-old girls, a 12-year-old boy and a 13-year-old boy) were found at the school. Two other people, a 39-year-old woman and an 11-year-old boy identified by police as Van Rootselaar’s mother and half-sister, were killed before the attack on the school.
Residents of Tumbler Ridge, a remote town of about 2,400 people in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, were sent a text alert Tuesday afternoon to seek shelter because of an active shooter.
Police said they arrived two minutes after the attack. Royal Canadian Mounted Police Assistant Commissioner Dwayne McDonald said: “As officers approached the school, bullets were fired in their direction. Officers entered the school to locate the threat and within minutes, a confirmed attacker was located dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.”
Two firearms, a long gun and a modified pistol were seized.
